 The ICC's attempts to reform the cricket structure in the USA should have all the clubs in Bermuda asking the Bermuda Cricket Board a host of questions to put to the ICC and demand answers.
Many need to remember, USA and Bermuda are in the same position as both were once in the ICC Cricket World Cup, Bermuda has gone on to win ICC Awards for good programmes, however USA have been suspended, but look who is getting the ICC attention and finances!
The ICC are taking another step forward with plans to hold player combine trials in eight cities from April through June. ICC Americas high performance consultant Tom Evans and former Australia fielding coach Mike Young will head the evaluation panel with other coaches from the West Indies Cricket Board and Cricket Australia also expected to take part in each city.
Bermuda players are being asked to train at the National Level when the ICC is clearly helping USA both in organization and financial as these trials come at a cost, so local clubs who care about their players should be insisting that they are not being taken advantage of.
All of this is being organized with an eye to form a USA team for ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Four. Well hold up, what help is Bermuda and other countries getting in the way of financial support in preparation for the WCL Division Four?
Remember the USA is still presently suspended by the ICC, the question clubs and for that matter the National coaching staff should be asking collectively is the ICC showing favoritism?
Tim Anderson, the ICC's head of global development, told stakeholders in a recent letter that the ICC was in discussions with city officials to host Division Four in Los Angeles later in the year.
Another question has to be, who are the stakeholders the ICC are referring too as they have suspended USA Cricket and why do they want to hold a tournament in a country that is currently suspended by themselves?
I is not like the US Attorney General ordering the arrest of FIFA Officials for corruption, the ICC on their own suspended USA Cricket!
Though Evans would not commit to a specific number of players that they are looking to identify as part of a national talent pool, he said that the broad goal is to narrow down the field to somewhere between 20-30 players. Subsequent squad trials are provisionally being targeted for later in the summer, particularly with the men's team preparing for Division Four.
Unlike last year's Indianapolis combine, where the ICC invited applications for players aged 30 and under, there is no age limit for these trials.
The ICC are doing this to the disadvantage of not only Bermuda, but all teams in WCL Division Four and needs to be addressed by everyone, because it appears that they are setting the USA up for success and the others for failure.
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