Bermuda all-rounder Janeiro Tucker has urged his team's rookies to adopt a more "serious" approach in their preparations for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in South Africa later this year.

Overall, the veteran cricketer believes Bermuda's World Cup preparations remain on track but he admitted he would like to see younger squad members take the daunting task at hand more seriously.

"I think our preparations are okay but some of the younger guys need to get more serious. They have never played in World Cup qualifiers at this level before and so they don't know what is at stake," Tucker told The Royal Gazette.

"I think some of the younger players are just going along for the ride at the moment. But when they see exactly what we are up against they may get a sudden jolt and realise just what is expected of them. But hopefully it won't take that long, and I am still confident we can achieve our qualifying objective.

"We just need our youngsters to put in the necessary workload because all of the senior players in the squad are working extremely hard."

Only last week promising batsman Oronde Bascome was axed from the senior national squad for breaching terms of a short-term Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) contract.

National team fast bowler George O'Brien jr was also recently reprimanded for playing football which violated terms of his BCB contract. And former national team vice-captain Rodney Trott and and seamer Kyle Hodsoll were also warned for skipping practice to attend this month's Dudley Eve football finals in Somerset.

Tucker is also currently under contract with the BCB and for the past several weeks has embarked on a steady path to recovery from minor knee surgery under the eye of physiotherapist Craig Brown.

The Southampton Rangers player/coach, who had fluid removed from in his right knee, captained Bermuda to World Cup qualification in Ireland nearly four years ago in the absence of injured skipper Clay Smith.

He is back in the national programme following a fall-out with the BCB and observers believe his return will prove crucial as the team attempt to re-qualify for cricket's showpiece in April.

"I am feeling alright and there's no discomfort in my knee," said Tucker.

"I should be okay and right now the only thing I am not permitted to do is run on the road. I can do everything else that my team-mates do in training, but running on the road is a bit too hard for my knee at the moment."

Tucker and his Bermuda team-mates will depart for a month-long tour to Trinidad and St.Lucia next week where his fitness will come under close scrutiny from national coach Gus Logie.

"Janeiro has been put on a special programme with our physio (Brown) and is doing special work at the gym," Logie said. "We are trying our best to work with Janeiro to try and get him as fit as possible.

"And he has responded very well and has put in a lot of hard work in the nets as well."