As this year’s Cup Match fades into the background, greater spotlight can be focused on Bermuda’s Under-19 squad, which will be attempting to qualify for the 2024 ICC Under-19 World Cup to be hosted in the Caribbean.
The team on Saturday travelled to Toronto, Canada to compete at the Americas Qualifier against United States, Argentina and the region’s powerhouse, Canada, winners of seven such tournaments, including the most recent one.
Bermuda has won the tournament once before to qualify for the main event, but with a young, developmental squad the goal is more to gain experience at the international level for future endeavours, while being competitive against strong opposition.
Bermuda are scheduled to play six matches in eight days, matching skills against each country twice, with the winner of the competition moving on to the World Cup finals.
TNN reporter Trevor Lindsay caught up with team coach and Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB president Arnold Manders just prior to the team’s departure.
“Anything can happen in sports, but this is a developing young team,” said Manders. “Of the 16 players that are going 14 will still be eligible for the next tournament.
“I still think that they can make a challenge, but I don’t know the strength of the other countries, particularly Canada and the USA.
“I do know that when they come they will have 18-year-olds and others hitting on 19, whereas we only have guys 15, 16 and 17 and one who’s 18. So most of the team will be eligible for the next tournament and hopefully that will be an ideal time for them to qualify for the World Cup once again.
The coach is well aware that the home country and the US will likely be made up of players that are offspring of immigrants from leading cricketing nations such as Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and West Indies, which positively impacts their strength.
“We’ve been dealing with that for years,” said Manders. “We are probably the only team all of the top teams that have a true national team, but that’s just what happens.
“They also play a lot more cricket. Most of their parents are wealthy and they send them over to Sri Lanka and India and they play all year round.
“I think they should be good, but if this team can hold their nerve, because they are a young group, and stay in their lane, stay disciplined and carry out their roles they should do well.”
Looking further down the road, Manders believes that the 2025 qualifier should provide an improved opportunity for Bermuda to realistically make a bid for the main event.
“I’m putting my neck on the line and saying that at the next qualifying tournament this team should be in a place to qualify,” said Manders. “This year we go to Canada. Next year will be the World Cup and then the next year will be qualifiers again and then the World Cup will be the year after that, for which we should be better equipped.”
This year’s preparation has been hindered a great deal by the weather, with massive amounts of rain in June and July preventing much match play for the side, which was entered in the BCB First Division 50 overs League.
“This (tournament) is something that they need because they didn’t play a lot of matches because of the rain,” said Manders. “Because of the rain they only played two matches out of the six that were scheduled and one game we were supposed to play got rained out and the other team won by a flip of the coin, so they’ve only played two matches.
“The preparation has not been ideal, but as far as the training, it’s been good, but as far as playing matches not so much.
“Still, we have two more years to work with most of them, so hopefully we can get more matches in and go back to wherever the next qualifiers are better chance of going through to the World Cup.
Canada are by far the most successful team overall, winning seven regional titles, to the two won by the United States and the single title won by Bermuda.
The reigning ICC World Cup champions are India, who defeated England by four wickets at the 2022 edition.
India have won the World Cup on a record five occasions, while Australia have won three times, Pakistan twice, and Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies once each.
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