Bermuda are set to announce a new squad in the next 10 days, as well as a new director of cricket, as they try to rebuild following their disastrous performance in the World Cup.

The team are set for a long tour in August, with games scheduled against Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands. However, since the World Cup their coach, Gus Logie, has made no secret of his disappointment at his senior players' apathy; several have failed to turn up to training sessions, raising questions about their commitment, and a greater concern of how to rebuild their team.

"I've said it before but the turn-out at training from many of the players who were involved in the World Cup has been pretty poor," Logie told The Royal Gazette. "They are obviously no longer under contract with the Board and are free to do as they choose, and a lot of them have said that they want to spend more time with their families.

"Even still their attendance overall has been a little bit disappointing, but on the plus side the attendance from many players who didn't make it into the World Cup squad has been very good and there are a core group of players showing up every week who have been working very hard and are knocking on the door for selection."

In addition to the squad announcement, Neil Speight - Bermuda's chief executive who is currently in London for the ICC's annual meeting - is expected to reveal at the end of this week who is to take up the position of director of cricket development.

The cricket world - or at least those running the game in countries from Australia to Zambia - assemble in London this week for their annual get-together. However, there will be a notable absentee. For the second time in three years, there will be no representation from the USA.

While the US might not be a major player on the field - it would probably rank just outside the top ten Associates if it ever managed to take to the field - but it does control one of the game's biggest and potentially most lucrative markets. It also is home to one of the most dysfunctional and unaccountable boards, the USA Cricket Association, and it is its ongoing shenanigans that have twice caused the ICC to suspend it from the international game.

A fortnight ago, in Washington, the two factions claiming to have the right to run the game in the USA met with Ken Gordon, the WICB's president, acting as peacemaker. The irony of Gordon, head of a board under fire from almost every side and millions of dollars in debt, being asked to sort out someone else's dirty linen caused more than a few wry smiles. But the two-day sit-down ended with a brief statement that the two sides had agreed to work together to resolve their problems.

The announcement was hardly a hold-the-front-page moment. For one thing, although there are thousands of players in the USA, and millions of fans, the USACA has almost no affect on anything they do. As one administrator told me, it could disappear tomorrow and nothing would change. The other issue is that both parties agreed not to say anything. To anyone.

Secrecy has been one of the major gripes against the USACA. It says almost nothing to anyone, and the tiny ruling group has been known to shut out its own directors if it sees fit. So while those who cared might have hoped that a deal would herald an era of transparency, they were instead given a familiar wall of silence.

The immediate reaction was here we go again. A decade ago the West Indies board, represented by Julian Hunte, sat down in New York with warring factions inside US cricket and reached a similar agreement. The USACA president since shortly after then has been Gladstone Dainty, a man of monosyllabic answers on the rare occasions he deigns to talk to the media. But despite all of the positive words, nothing changed. Elections were disputed, allegations of serious governance issues circulated, and a decade on, the running of the game continues to be a shambles that would disgrace a banana republic.

But the agreement reached on June 10 in Washington - for a new independent panel to review the much-maligned constitution and then for fresh elections before the end of the year - has to be given a chance. While there is every reason to suspect that nothing will change, the US has no choice but to wait and hope.

The independent panel - and it is that - should be in a position to hand down its findings within a couple of months. Unlike the heavily criticised and rushed election in February, the next ones, set for November, should be open and above suspicion.

For the time being the stakeholders have to trust Dainty - although they have a million reasons not to - and rely on him to deliver what he and others have promised. The time to deliver a verdict on his achievements will be in November when, by all rights, he will be sent packing

One of the main failings of the USACA is that it appears to operate under the grossly misguided belief that the international cricketing community needs it more than it needs them. While the dollars available from staging third-party matches in the US is a lure, that can be done without involving the USACA if push comes to shove.

The ICC is weary with the antics of a cricketing small fry. It has tried to help but by asking the WICB to act as broker it has probably offered its final olive branch. Much is at stake. Aside from funding from the international coffers, if the US stays suspended then the national team cannot play at any level. There is also the small matter of the pending Centrex deal relating to marketing cricket and staging international matches in the USA. If that goes through then it could bring millions into the game. But it relies on a credible and transparent board. The lack of that already scuppered Project USA.

So the next six months is make-or-break for US cricket. For the last time, stakeholders have to keep fingers crossed and hope that, finally, Dainty and his associates do the right thing and act in the interests of the game. There is every reason to doubt they will, only this time if they get it wrong, there may be no way back.

	Jeremy Bray chose not to represent Ireland ... because he can earn more playing club cricket © Getty Images

Jeremy Bray, Ireland's opening batsman, has branded the Irish Cricket Union's efforts at turning the game professional 'a joke'. Bray opted out of Ireland's weekend ODIs against India and South Africa, having also been unavailable for a large part of the Friends Provident campaign, because of family commitments and admits his future is in doubt.

"I was a bit tired and needed a rest", he told the Sunday Tribune, "at least that was the initial plan. But it's hard to get to training because I live so far away. My wife has her own hair salon business so organising childcare has become a big issue. The reality is that it costs me money to play for Ireland."

Since Ireland returned from the World Cup there has been much talk of Ireland turning professional and negotiations are well advanced, but Bray isn't impressed. "It's just a joke", he said, "But I'm not surprised - that's the Irish Cricket Union for you."

Bray has spoken to Ireland captain Trent Johnston about the situation but is still uncertain about the future. "I hope it doesn't get to me giving it all up, but we need to get it all out in the open and see what's on offer."

Warren Deutrom, the ICU chief executive, who has been a driving force being the quest for a professional set-up responded to Bray's comments and said the delay isn't because of a lack of effort.

"The fundamental issue is that we can't complete and finalise the contracts for the players until we know we are able to satisfy what they are requesting in terms of additional monies," he said. "We can't do that until we know how much of a budget we have, and we won't know that until this current series of games is completed. It's a vicious circle.

"Do we want to be able to pay the players? Absolutely, of course we do, and it's the fundamental route to success. I know there's a significant degree of frustration among the players, and I completely understand that. We have met with the players on a number of occasions, and will continue to do so.

"We've managed to get many of their issues and concerns out into the open. A lot of the players are prepared to be patient until they know of the final financial result. Obviously we're trying to do our very best."

Johnston has also been vocal in his call for a professional structure in Ireland. Following the match against India on Saturday he said: "We've got to have professional contracts put in place so players can get back to the standard we set in the West Indies. Four months we were away playing cricket and you could see in our performance over there we were a much better team."

Guyan visited Scarborough, in Ontario, last Sunday to play a team of Canadian Guyanese in the Celebrity Cricket match. The game, won by Guyana, was part of the Guyana Festival weekend to celebrate Guyanese independence.

The Canadian side made 143 for 8. Aftab Shamshuddeem, who is in the Canada squad to face UAE next month, topscored with 32 as the Canadians put on 143 for 8. Two more Canadian internationals, Sunil Dhaniram and Abdool Samad, also played for the side.

Guyana won easily, by seven wickets, with Sewnarine Chattergoon making 30 and wicketkeeper Darwin Christian 38 before both retired. The Guyanese Consul General to Canada presented the main trophy.

The Hong Kong women's team scored an emphatic ten-wicket victory over China in an historic match played at the Shenzhen University Stadium. While records of matches between teams from Hong Kong and Chinese clubs date back to the 19th century, this match was the first full international played between teams from Hong Kong and China.

Click here for the full report

Scotland's World Cup cricket captain, Craig Wright, has voiced his fear that the sport has hit a "glass ceiling" in his homeland and that, barring some significant new investment for the leading players, he could foresee the Scots starting to slip back down the international ladder, a scenario which Wright described as a "disaster".

n the past five years, Scotland have climbed to 12th in the ICC rankings, while winning the Intercontinental Cup and the ICC Trophy, and coming second in the inaugural World Cricket League in Kenya four months ago. However, Cricket Scotland chief executive, Roddy Smith, admitted yesterday there was no immediate prospect of his organisation being able to fund professional or even semi-professional contracts - "there simply isn't enough money to support it" - which left the normally buoyant Wright issuing a gloomy prognosis for Scottish cricket.

"I don't believe we can realistically expect to go any higher in the rankings without extra funding and, if anything, the situation is growing more critical, because we have an ever-expanding fixture schedule - which is good in one sense - which means that the guys simply can't get time off work," said Wright. "One of the potential outcomes of this is that the top guys may have to pick and choose their games, meaning that we will struggle to keep up with the likes of Bangladesh and Kenya [both of whom have or are sorting out pro contracts), and it becomes a vicious circle, with us not being as competitive, from where fans don't come to watch, and sponsors get turned off.

"There is no longer any point in ducking the issue, but we seem to be banging our heads off a brick wall at the moment, which is terrifically frustrating, considering how hard we have all worked. It's almost the case we have succeeded in spite of, not because of, the system, so what is going to happen next when we have hit the glass ceiling? Logically, you have to accept there is the threat of going backwards, which would be devastating."

Wright's words were delivered, prior to the ICC's meeting in London next week, where it's expected that the governing body will be urged to offer greater support to the emerging nations in advance of the next World Cup in 2011. "I am convinced that, for a relatively small amount of money, we could take substantial strides forward and we have to make that case to the ICC," said Wright, whose compatriots tackle Pakistan in Edinburgh on July 1. "Obviously, we have to be quietly confident that we can spring a surprise in that game, but we have to strive for a level playing field, otherwise we may have gone as far as we can go."

Trent Johnston, Ireland's captain, has challenged his young squad to produce the goods against the might of India who they face in a one-dayer on Saturday at Stormont, Belfast.

Only seven members of the squad which beat Pakistan to reach the Super Eights of the World Cup remain, but Johnston insists that - in spite of being in a phase of regeneration, not to mention beset by injuries - they can still challenge India.

Click here to read the full story.

Offspinner Muhammad Kashif has withdrawn from the Netherlands side for the tour to Canada because of a family bereavement. 33-year-old legspinner Mangesh Panchal has been drafted into the squad.

MCC start a tour of Belgium - where cricket was first played in 1815, between British Army officers before the Battle of Waterloo - on Friday (June 22).

The 15-strong squad will be led by Chinmay Gupte and includes Stuart Ransley (an MCC Young Cricketer) and Gareth James (a student at one of the six MCC Universities - Cambridge).

The week-long tour will include coaching sessions and four fixtures - starting on Saturday (with a match against a Cricket Vlaanderen XI in Gent) and culminating, next Thursday, in a game against the Belgian National Select XI (at the Royal Brussels Cricket Club).

Belgium is the fifth of eight countries that will be toured this year by MCC which, with an annual programme of over 500 matches, is the world's most active cricket-playing club.

Indeed, the penultimate tour match in Belgium - a Twenty20 fixture - will be played on one of the busiest days (Wednesday, June 27) in MCC's cricket calendar. On that day, its men's and women's teams will play no fewer than 15 matches, in venues from Antwerp to Arbroath.

"MCC is committed to promoting cricket - both in Britain and overseas," John Stephenson, MCC's Head of Cricket, said. "Our tours play a key part in that process. As well as increasing international interest in the game, they enable emerging cricketing nations to measure their recent progress. They also provide our players with invaluable experience of different conditions and cultures.

That's why I'm particularly pleased that an increasing number of Young Cricketers and students from the MCC Universities - in whom we invest £850,0000 per year - are now taking part in our overseas tours."

More than 200 cricketers from all across North America, ranging in age from 10 to 15, are converging on Cupertino in the Bay Area for the largest cricket tournament to be staged on North American soil. There will be teams from Florida, the Atlantic Coast, Canada, the Bay Area and Los Angeles, each selected by "expert committees" applying standards that had to be fully documented and approved by the tournament committee before the tournament rosters would be finalised.

Click here for the full report

In The Daily Telegraph Tony Francis travels to Ireland to see if the World Cup was a flash in the pan or something more significant. The findings are not that encouraging, but he does flag an interesting point when he talks to some players from Derry. They believe that:-

“The authorities should encourage indigenous cricketers and scale down their dependency on Australians, South Africans and Asians who migrated to Dublin when the economy took off in the Nineties. Unless they can block the drain of talent to England by contracting Ireland's young elite such as Boyd Rankin, Niall O'Brien and Eoin Morgan, who all play county cricket, they'll need more Johnstons and Bothas if they're to have any chance of building on their international success.”

The issue will continue to dominate as a number of players refuse to play for Ireland because of their count commitments.

“The Irish Cricket Union would rather avoid a repeat of the Ed Joyce scenario. While understanding his career decision and wishing him well at Middlesex, most followers were hurt to see an Irishman representing England in the World Cup. It was like watching Roy Keane sing God Save the Queen.”

Cricket Kenya is on the verge of offering its leading players one-year contracts.

The board has agreed terms with the players, Roger Harper, the coach, has given his views and the national selectors are now drawing up a final list of between 18 and 20 names who will be invited to sign the contracts. The selectors also need to divide the players into three categories, based on seniority and ability, which will determine how much they get paid.

"They will be offered one-year deals," Samir Inamdar, the board's chairman, told Cricinfo. "This has been made possible by the money we received from winning the World Cricket League and also from the Nimbus TV deal.

"Those chosen will receive a regular monthly salary as well as appearance fees for ODIs. For four-day Intercontinental Cup games they will get the equivalent fee for three ODIs."

The board has also offered to share a third of prize-money and appearance money with squad players. And people can still be picked from outside those on central contracts, but they will be paid on a match-by-match basis.

A few leading Kenya players have contracts overseas and Inamdar stressed that these could continue subject to the prior agreement of the board. Their central contracts will be suspended for the period they are employed playing cricket elsewhere.

Inamdar said that at the moment the contracts were for one years and the situation would be reviewed after that. Much depends on whether the board is able to attract new sponsors and also how much the board's share of the new ICC media deal with ESPN brings in.

Cricket Kenya has confirmed that India A will tour Kenya in late July or early August to play two four-day matches as well as taking part in a one-day series which will involve at least one other country's A team.

The deal was brokered by Samir Inamdar, CK's chairman, while he was in India attending the Afro-Asia Cup. Indian board officials told him that they were keen to attract another side to ensure there was a high level of competition, and Sri Lanka A are also believed to be interested and an offer has been made to West Indies.

Cricket Kenya is hoping to stage some international Twenty20 matches in Nairobi in early September in the build-up to the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa. Pakistan and Bangladesh have expressed interest.

Peter Gillespie has retired from international cricket after 124 appearances for Ireland.

"I was going to retire after the World Cup but my family persuaded me to stay on,” he told cricketeurope. “I’m glad they did because I wanted to finish on the pitch. I knew the team would be weaker because of retirements, injuries and the three County players in England, so I'm glad I stayed on to give a bit of experience to the new caps."

Cricket Kenya (CK) has suspended its Central province ahead of next month's board elections.

"The province has not promoted any form of the game in their area of jurisdiction," Samir Inamdar, CK's chairman, told Cricinfo. "They have less than the prescribed three active clubs as required for the formation of branches. The decision to suspend their membership of CK was unanimously reached in a special council meeting. "

The province was set up by the old Kenyan Cricket Association, and at the time Cricinfo reported that it appeared to have been created to give the existing board extra votes as there was little evidence of any meaningful cricket being played there.

When the old KCA executive was ousted in May 2005, the new board decided to embrace Centrals (and Rift Valley, another disputed new province) and try to promote the game there.
To safeguard the possibility that a province could not simply be guaranteed its place as a member with representation rights without ensuring that it had a minimal level of cricket being played within it, it was decided, in keeping with past practice, that a province had to have a minimum of three cricket-playing clubs to remain as a provincial affiliate.

While in Rift Valley that faith has been justified - there are now 12 active clubs in the region - in Centrals there has been almost no activity Inamdar said: "the province is at present, from a cricketing perspective, totally moribund".

S Bindal, Centrals' provincial representative, never attended any board or council meeting and, as a result, lost his seat under CK rules.

Joshua Kiragu, the Centrals chairman, was appointed as CK's development convenor. "He was given the task of co-ordinating the Cricket Without Boundaries project in Western Province," Inamdar said. "The board had raised queries about the application of certain funding given to him for this project and despite repeated requests he failed to report to the CEO and/or the treasurer on this issue." The CK executive has resolved to remove him from his seat on the ground that he too has failed to attend any board or council meetings for over a year. The executive voted to suspend Central, citing the fact that "it had no active cricket being played, no real structure, no constitution and no recognised officials".

CK officials believe that cricket has a future in the region and they will attempt to relaunch the game when new and more reliable people can be found. "There is great potential there particularly among schools," Inamdar said, "and a good possible source of funding from the many high profile businesses and industries in the vicinity."

Eoin Morgan has declared himself unavailable to Ireland, setting a worrying precedent for the future as more Ireland players pledge their future to England © Getty Images

Ireland have announced a severely depleted 13-man squad for their one-dayers against India and South Africa due to get under way on June 23.

Though it is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland's talent, several of their star players are missing through injury. Andre Botha, Dave Langford-Smith and, most disappointingly of all, Boyd Rankin have all failed to recover from their respective injuries in time, though it is expected they will be fit in time for the quadrangular series in July.

The batting also lacks depth and, to compound their troubles, both Jeremy Bray and Eoin Morgan have declared themselves unavailable while their allrounder, Peter Gillespie, has decided to call it a day.

"There's no doubt we have been badly hit by injuries," Phil Simmons, their coach, said. "Langford-Smith has a side injury, and this type of injury can be very slow to heal. Both Andre Botha (elbow injury) and Boyd Rankin (stress fracture of the fibula), are still two or three weeks away from full fitness, but I'm confident all three will be ready for the quadrangular tournament."

Injuries, though unfortunate, are part and parcel of the game but it is Morgan's case which is a greater concern, as more and more Ireland players pledge their future to England.

"Morgan has informed me that he isn't available for the ODIs because of his commitments with Middlesex," Simmons said. "He wants to qualify and play for England, and feels that by obtaining a regular place in the Middlesex team is the best way to achieve that.

"Bray asked not to be considered for selection for these matches and Gillespie has decided to retire from representative cricket.

"The positive aspect to this is that a number of the younger players in the squad will now get a chance to show me what they are capable of," Simmons said. "They have the opportunity to firmly establish themselves in the squad. I'm already starting to look ahead to the World Cup qualifiers in the UAE in 2009, and the composition of the team."

Ireland squad

Trent Johnston (capt), Kenny Carroll, Alex Cusack, Thinus Fourie, Dominick Joyce, Gary Kidd, Kyle McCallan, Kevin O' Brien, Niall O' Brien, William Porterfield, Roger Whelan, Andrew White,Gary Wilson

Two Ugandan cricketers who disappeared at the end of the World cricket League in Darwin earlier this month have been found by Australia’s Immigration Department in Adelaide.

The Age reported that Patrick Ochan, 18, and Jimmy Okello, 19, are expected to apply to stay in the country. It said that the pair were staying with Ken Skewes, a young South Australia player, and he contacted the authorities when he realised that the men were being sought. The paid have valid visas until June 28, so no further action is expected until then.

The Gulf News reports that a ten-team tournament will be held in Fujairah between June 21 and August 2.

Called the Crown Prince Cup, the event will feature four teams from Fujairah and six from other emirates. Matches will be played under Twenty20 rules.

"More and more UAE nationals are having a growing interest in cricket, so I can promise you that in the future there will be a UAE cricket team with 100% Emirati representation, “Sultan Saif Al Samahi, cChairman of Fannan Sports and Cultural Club, said. “Of course, youth form Fujairah will get their chance in that dream".

"This is a chance to mingle with different communities such as the Indian, Pakistanis, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshis, who have a great passion for the game,” Ahmad Ebrahim Saif, chief coordinator for the tournament, said. "We are sure that, during and after the tournament, there will be more UAE nationals who will find this game very interesting."

Matches will take place at the Municipality Cricket Ground and at the cricket ground of the Fujairah Indian School.

The USA may well be readmitted to the international fold after talks between the warring factions battling for control of the USA Cricket Association in Washington over the weekend.

The USA was suspended by the ICC in March after two rival groups claimed to be the rightful ones to run the game in the country. The ICC asked the West Indies board (WICB) to intervene and try to find a solution. Only when the WICB reported back that the dispute had been settled would a readmission be considered.

Ken Gordon, the WICB president, met with the USA Cricket Association and representatives of the regional league presidents and the two sides agreed to revise the review of the constitution so that all stakeholders could be consulted. There were deep concerns at the short time given by the USACA for examination and debate of the previous new constitution before it had to be approved.

While specifics are hard to come by, a statement said that "the USACA has agreed to the proposals for the way forward made by the ICC and will move promptly to remove all impediments to the lifting of the suspension from Associate Membership imposed by that body". Firm time lines have been fixed and these will be closely observed.

It is likely that Gordon will now report back to the ICC when it meets in London later this month and there seems no reason that the suspension should be lifted.

The Daily Telegraph reports that MCC is looking to establish a body called MCC America to help with coaching and coordinating the games development in the USA.

Although the news is a much-needed boost for the USA at a time its association has been suspended by the ICC following a disputed election and implementation of a questionable new constitution, there are toes likely to be trodden on.

Firstly, the USA Cricket Association, a body with a soviet-style approach to openness and transparency, is still nominally in charge of all aspects of the game and is likely to treat the idea as a threat more than an opportunity.

Secondly, the USACA has signed a deal with a marketing company called Centrex which aims to pass all the marketing and promotion of the game to a joint-venture third-party body. That new organisation will also be responsible for arranging and hosting ODIs featuring India and West Indies in the USA.

As well as setting up MCC America, the club is planning a tour of America in 2009 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first major overseas tour by a representative side from England in 1859. It has to be hoped the weather is better than then when the last match, admittedly on October 26 in New York on a baseball ground, was played out on a flooded pitch. The following day four inches of snow fell.

MCC will also host a USA v Europe match at Lord's in 2010.

The Gulf News reports that the Dubai Sports City cricket stadium will open in January 2008 and the first international match could be as soon as March next year.

The 25,000-seater ground, which will be totally covered, features a roof that is able to withstand all weather patterns and even absorb dust storms and moisture and provide a cool atmosphere. The pitch will be suited to one-day cricket and soil and grass from different parts of the world are being experimented with.

Click here for the full story

American cricket has had a boost of a kind recently and there’s more good news in store. An all-star cast of West Indian players is heading to New York to play a celebrity match as part of a celebratory Caribbean Week in the city. Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Colin Croft and Larry Gomes are among those who will be turning out – although some may say they would be better served at Old Trafford this week.

Kenya is likely to host the next Afro-Asia Cup which will be held in June next year, the Asian Cricket Council has announced.

The hosting alternates between Africa and Asia and only time there is a gap in the international calendar in the next two years is in the second, third and fourth weeks of June 2008, hence the timing of the competition.

"The likely venue is Kenya where the facilities and weather would be ideal," Syed Ashraful Haq, the ACC chief executive, said. Money raised by the tournament is split 70% to the host association, 20% to the visitors and 10% to the Sightsavers charity.

The last major tournament hosted in Kenya was the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy but there were concerns raised at the time about the organisation and support from the local population. Given that the 2005 event was held in South Africa, the choice was between Zimbabwe and Kenya, and the deteriorating political and social situation in Zimbabwe made that to risky an option.

A very rare high for Bermuda at the World Cup © Getty Images

Associates cricket is on something of a high at the moment. Ireland did the second-tier countries proud at the World Cup, there are a number of full ODIs set to take place involving Associates and Full Members, and the World Cricket League Division Three, which finished in Darwin at the weekend, showed that the game does have strength in depth. In 2009, extra funding resulting from the ICC's media deal with ESPN should also kick in giving a further fillip. But while the leading Associates press on with ambitious plans to try to bridge the divide between them and most Full Members, there is one country where the profile of the game is heading in the wrong direction - Bermuda .

A year or so ago, Bermudan cricket looked to be heading for great things. Despite the restrictions of a tiny population, the game, which has strong roots on the island, was thriving.

On the strength of the country qualifying for the 2007 World Cup, the government agreed to donate US$11 million to the Bermuda Cricket Board over five years. On top of that the BCB received more than US$250,000 from its participation in the Stanford 20-20, and then there were ICC grants totalling more than US$200,000 a year. Bermuda 's direct rivals, the other five Associates which qualified for the World Cup, only had ICC funding and local sponsorships to build on. It should have given them a huge advantage.

But the ink had hardly dried on the government's investment than things started to go wrong. The national side spluttered, wobbled and then fell apart, and by the end of 2006 there were too many stories regarding their lack of fitness and dubious approach to matches to ignore. They played three games in Mombasa in November and several independent eyewitnesses raised concerns about many aspects of their performances.

Gus Logie, the coach, who played 52 Tests for West Indies when they were at their peak, started to sound increasingly frustrated. In December, Richard Done, the ICC's High erformance Manager, also expressed his concerns over the players' fitness in public.

Despite all the financial advantages and the boost to the game's profile that came from the World Cup, there is every reason to argue that things now are worse than they were 12 months ago

By the time the side arrived in Nairobi in February for the World Cricket League Division One - the premier event for Associates - even the Bermuda government was being asked to justify its investment. Under the spotlight to perform, Bermuda looked a shambles. "They were smiling and laughing as they walked off the field after being thumped," one eyewitness told Cricinfo after they lost their opening game by ten wickets. "They seemed to lack fight and any willingness to battle." Things got no better. One senior administrator from another Associate said: "Five sides came here with a professional attitude. Bermuda came as if it was an all-expenses-paid jolly."
Few expected any better at the World Cup, and so it turned out. Aside from Dwayne Leverock's headline-grabbing and earth-shattering catch against India, it was forgettable and dismal. They lost by margins of 243 runs, 253 runs and seven wickets, and stories of their off-field activities abounded.

Since then, things have continued to slide. Last week it emerged that almost no players had deemed it necessary for them to attend training sessions which resumed at the start of May. And a new two-day league introduced by the BCB has started amid chaos. Two sides have already pulled out, a third only fielded seven players and another match was scrapped because the pitch had not been prepared.

A fortnight ago an exasperated Done reported that the country could not stage any full ODIs because the square at the National Sports Centre was not fit to be considered for such matches. In the year since he first inspected, nothing had changed. At that time Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitch expert, said the pitches were "only suitable for growing carrots".

So despite all the financial advantages and the boost to the game's profile that came from the World Cup, there is every reason to argue that things now are worse than they were 12 months ago.

Time is against the board. In 2009, Bermuda has to re-qualify for its current status and also battle for a place at the 2011 World Cup, and there are some sides out there who are already snapping at their heels. Failure to secure both goals will quite possibly be the end of the dream for Bermuda, and it is hard to see any way back if they do slip.

Things can still be turned round. The board and selectors need to come down hard on those players who will not toe the line - and indiscipline, at club and national level, has been a constant issue - and if that means those who want to play are picked, and not necessarily the best players, so be it. A clear message has to be sent out that the players are expected to behave as conscientiously as those from other Associates.

The BCB has to invest time and money in getting pitches sorted, and establishing a workable club structure. It was apparent from some time ago that the two-day competition was unsustainable.

There is also encouragement to be had among the up-and-coming players. Participation in the Under-10 league has more than doubled since the World Cup. The Under-19s have impressed with their commitment and ability. James Whittaker of the Bermuda Sun said that anyone who had watched them play "has found it refreshing to see a team in Bermuda colours looking fit and sharp in the field".

What cannot be allowed is another year of stagnation and a strategy of hoping everything will come good. It won't. In a professional world, it's time for some professionalism.

Chris Sutton, the former Norwich City striker, struck a "bubbling" fifty for Sheringham against East Harling last week.

Sutton - who is being linked with a return to the Canaries - hit 74 in Sheringham's 206-8, with Ben Etheridge picking up three wickets.

But Sheringham could not complete an outright victory as East Harling reached 117-8 in reply.

Read the full story at North Norfolk News.

Many thanks to Allan Schoenherr for sending it in.

It appears two of Uganda's players, who won Division Three of the World Cricket League, have gone missing in Australia.

Patrick Ochan, 18, and Jimmy Okello, 19, from the same village in Uganda's north, failed to reunite with their team following the ICC World Cricket League 3 Division final in Darwin at the weekend.

Uganda's national team, which won the match, has since gone home, saying they hope the missing players will follow and won't seek to stay permanently in Australia.

A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews confirmed the pair were still in Australia.

"They have valid visas until August 24 so they are still legally here," she told AAP.

Full story at the Sydney Morning Herald.

Despite the lack of preparation, the Uganda’s chairman William Musoke is delighted with his team winning Division Two of the World Cricket League.

“We persevered and insisted on training despite the inadequacies in the association. It was total sacrifice for the players and officials to make the Darwin trip.”

Musoke explained that under the conditions, it was seasoned cricketers like Sam Walusimbi (coach) and himself who knew the plot and the results proved them right.

“Since the people running the team were seasoned cricketers, I was absolutely sure they knew what they were doing,” Musoke bragged.

Despite a lack of trial matches for acclimatisation in Darwin, Uganda finished the eight-nation tournament unbeaten.

The chairman revealed plans to have the national team get involved in many international tours ahead of big tournaments.

“With the High Performance Programme, the onus is now on us to decide where or who to host and what we need for the team,” he added.

Read Ronnie Kintu's full story in The New Vision.

Cricket Kenya is hoping to launch a four-day national competition later this year providing that sponsors can be found to underwrite the costs of the event.

A Kenya Select side recently took part in Zimbabwe's first-class Logan Cup, drawing two and losing two of their four four-day matches. They finished the tour being defeated by a Zimbabwe A side. While the results were disappointing, what was clear was that many of the Kenyan players were not equipped to play the longer form of the game and good positions were too often squandered. For most, with the exception of the Intercontinental Cup, it was their first exposure to anything other than one-day matches.

"Four-day cricket is something which we are plainly not used to," Samir Inamdar, Cricket Kenya's chairman, told Cricinfo. "And if there is anything we need to turn our attention to at a national level it is the longer version of the game. We simply do not play this game at home and it is vital that we start to play it and play it regularly.

"It is heartening that Zimbabwe allowed us to participate in this tournament, if only to demonstrate our weakness in this form of cricket. I believe that the boys will have learned from this experience."

The main obstacles facing Cricket Kenya are funding and availability of players. Zimbabwe pay for the running of Logan Cup out of the US$11.5 million they receive from the ICC from the World Cup. Kenya only receive around US$215,000 which has to cover the salaries of the national players and coach, administration costs, and grassroots funding. There is nothing spare. That is why Inamdar hopes to get a sponsor in to cover the costs of transporting sides between Nairobi and Mombasa, as well as paying for accommodation and other expenses.

It will also be hard to persuade people to take time off work to play - cricket in Kenya is almost all played at weekends - but Inamdar said that if games were scheduled sensibly, probably in school holidays, then the bulk of players should be able to take part.

Although no format has been discussed, it seems likely that there would be four teams, which is the minimum needed to make the competition meaningful. Two would come from the traditional cricketing centre of Nairobi, one from the coast (Mombasa) and another from the other regions such as Rift Valley, bolstered, if needs be, from Nairobi. This is no different to Zimbabwe where many regional sides are in effect filled with players bussed in from Harare.

Given that Zimbabwe's return to Test cricket may well be stalled, it is possible that they might be lured to Kenya to join in the competition as Kenya did in the Logan Cup. That would give the tournament an added spark and both locals and the Zimbaweans would learn much from the experience.

If the board can get this competition up and running then it will give Kenya a significant advantage in the Intercontinental Cup and also in persuading Full Member countries than they can get meaningful cricket if they visit Kenya. All that's needed now is the sponsor ...

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Uganda celebrate their victory © ICC

As expected, Uganda won the World Cricket League Division Three final, beating Argentina by 91 runs in Darwin. But Argentina, who only qualified for the tournament after USA were expelled last month, came close to pulling off what would have been a remarkable upset.

At one stage Uganda, the hot favourites, had slumped to 79 for 7, after being asked to bat, with Argentina captain Esteban MacDermott, who was later adjudged player of the tournament, taking three wickets. However Frank Nsubuga, who made 55 from 38 balls, and Laurence Sematimba added a vital 80 for the eight wicket. Sematimba and Patrick Ochan, 56 from 34 balls, then posted 82 for the ninth wicket as Uganda reached 241 for 8. Nsubuga outstanding all-round day continued, taking 4 for 27 as Argentina were bowled out for 150 in the 47th over.

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Bermuda's Royal Gazette has reported that the indiscipline of the national team, which was of concern for some time before the World Cup, has grown worse in the two months.

In the four weeks since training restarted for the national side, only three players - Irving Romaine, Kevin Hurdle and Lionel Cann - have bothered to attend, with another, Dwayne Leverock, absent because he is recovering from a tonsillectomy. A further three players - Dean Minors Saleem Mukuddem and Clay Smith - have retired.

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