Richard Calderon in, Larry Mussenden out.

Football has lost a great man in Mr. Larry Mussenden. Over the years I have truly respected his ability as a leader and an administrator.

I always joked with him that one day I would love to see him flip-flop from football to cricket. I think he has a lot to offer any sport with his administrative skills and leadership qualities.

Sadly though, at the end of the day you can have the best administration running, but if the players and clubs do not comply with your goals or motives, it's all a waste and that is where I feel cricket is right now.

As humans we are so quick to want to blame failure and disappointments on those at the top or those who are in leadership. This is true in our government, on our jobs, in our sports and the problem is worldwide.

Just look in the English football league – but can we always blame the owners, managers, coaches or administrators?

We can't continue to blame these people until we know that we as players, citizens or employees have ourselves done our part. No matter how much is given to us, if we do not make the grade we find someone to blame.

Former players, myself included, tend to make comments like ' What more do these players want these days? We would die to be in the shoes of some of our younger players today to have the opportunities that they have now'. But the question is, if you weren't successful with everything that the current players have, would you also blame someone else for your shortfalls?

When I look around the world, people are dying for their country, players travel half way around the world just to represent their country. Before, players had every excuse in the book from not getting paid, to not playing enough but now both sports (cricket and football) have money, both sports have the opportunity to play on a more consistent basis, but yet both sports are continuously grumbling and complaining about their boards and administration, and I say that collectively – fans, players, ex-players, and ex-administrators. Why don't we let each group worry about what they need to do?

Small example: Let the administrators not worry about the coach's tactics, what players the coach wants to invite, how he runs his training sessions and let the players not worry about where the Board is spending their money, how many people they have hired, and who needs to be ousted out of the executive.

There are things in place to expose all of these issues. Each group needs to concentrate on what they are experts in and in the end they will work together for the good.

Right now we have a national team getting ready to try to qualify for Cricket World Cup a second time. The coaching staff is going to need to be able to utilise all of the country's resources. But how can they when they do not have our best players training?

I couldn't help but realise that 'Mr. Cup Match', Janeiro Tucker, who I consider to be Bermuda's best all-rounder, is absent from the national team training squad along with his team-mate Dion Stovell. I urge these guys to squash their issues or have emergency talks with whoever and sort out whatever needs to be sorted. Bermuda is going to need all of their best players available for this task, but the politics must be eliminated.

The top four teams at the qualifying tournament in Bangladesh go to the Cricket World Cup, but the top six teams will have one-day status. Worse case scenario is that if Bermuda do not qualify for the World Cup, we must finish in the top six or else we will be back to square one in the cricketing world with minimal funding from the ICC.

I want to personally encourage all of the players who have been selected, because never will they have another opportunity like this.

Many of you have won a Belco Cup, County Cup or Cup Match, but I am here to tell you the feeling we had when we qualified for the World Cup surpasses all of them put together. I recall smiling, singing, shouting, crying! The feeling was simply unbelievable!

At the end of the day, regardless of whether we qualify or not, the players along with the Cricket Board and the clubs have a role to play in the future of Bermuda cricket. Basically, it is going to take a combined effort on all fronts to see that our national sport continues to prosper.

Collectively we all have a role to play when it comes to the future of our cricket, but let's be discerning of what our boundaries are.

Mr. Mussenden, the football world doesn't want you, but I can assure you the cricket world would love to have you.