As the Bermuda national cricket team head off to South Africa and Namibia on their next excursion I want to wish them well and offer them words of encouragement.

Quite a bit has been said and written over the last week or two about the squad and their preparations or lack of, but this team is still full of potential. No they do not have all of the big name players, but they have dedicated players, players who want to play for their country, players who are going to give their all and that's all we as a country can ask of them.

First the team will travel to Pretoria, South Africa and stay at a first class training complex.

This complex has everything you can imagine and want from gyms to playing fields, turf nets and concrete nets, swimming pool, physicians, meeting rooms, sports psychologists and many more amenities.

With merely a week to prepare, the players will be put though some rigorous training and I urge them to utilise this time wisely. We know that here in Bermuda you haven't had the best training facilities, but in one week you can accomplish what was lacking here providing that you are willing to make the sacrifice. Use the two practice games wisely by trying to gain some confidence and form, which will hopefully spill over into Namibia.

Namibia will be a whole new ball game for most of the players. Having been there already I can shed a little light on what to expect.

Namibia is very dry and hot. The last time we were there, we had one or two players with nosebleeds and two players struggled with illnesses. It is extremely important that the players watch what they eat and drink.

From the playing aspect, the wickets in Namibia are some of the best I have ever played on as I have fond memories of scoring my second highest score for Bermuda there against Kenya.

Batsmen will love the wickets as once you get stuck in, you can only get yourself out. Bowlers on the other hand will be made to toil. Bowlers, you will be physically and mentally tested as the wickets offer little assistance if any at all. I would urge you to be patient and disciplined, bowl good lines and use your angles when bowling.

Let's take a closer look at our team:

David Hemp – strong team leader, knows the game well. Bermuda will need him to bat long if we are to stand a chance of winning. Hemp has played with all but two of the players so in the first week I am sure he will make his assessments of how to best utilise them.

Steven Outerbridge – I call him the new Clay Smith because this guy has passion and a love for cricket that is unbelievable although it took a while to blossom, but now that it has, he has proven that outside of David Hemp he is the man.

Irving Romaine – The grandpa of the team, but Irving is extremely important because of his experience. Irving bats best at the top of the order where he has proven himself time and time again and can also be used as a back-up spinner.

Chris Foggo – nicknamed Sashi Tendulkar by his peers because when he is on top of his game he is one of the sweetest batsmen you want to see, also a very reliable back up wicketkeeper.

Fiqre Crockwell – A disciplined player who plays to his strengths. He raised several eyebrows with his performance at the qualifiers in South Africa two years ago. A very good team player that always gives you 100percent.

Shannon Raynor – Relatively new to the international scene, but has obviously earned his spot through commitment and hard work. Shannon comes from the Lionel Cann mould, he can single handidly destroy a bowling attack when he is on, but this will be a whole new level for him and it will surely be a test of character.

Jekon Edness – Hands down Bermuda's best wicketkeeper. His batting ability has improved tremendously, so much so he is Mr. Versatile. Do not be surprised if you see Jekon batting at number seven in one game, then at number one the next. He is a real team player.

Malachi Jones – The most pure raw talent in the team. This guy is one of my favourite young players because he is exciting; he bowls aggressively and bats aggressively. It is time for Malachi to now be the leader in the bowling department. Tthe question is whether or not he is mentally up for the challenge.

Ryan Steede – Ryan spearheaded the bowling attack for Bermuda when we qualified in Ireland for World Cup and has been Bermuda's most consistent fast bowler. He's one of the few bowlers who have played in Namibia and as far as I am concerned the last time he was in Namibia it was the best I had ever seen him bowl.

Justin Pitcher – Young player who has burst onto the scene and looks like he belongs there. Justin has all-rounder capabilities but it is really up to him as to how good he becomes as he has all the tools to be a top cricketer.

Stefan Kelly – Quick, fit and eager are words to describe him. When Stefan is hungry to play cricket there are few bowlers around as good as him. Just look at his stats from last Cup Match and you will see he is a first class bowler, but these wickets in Namibia will test his character like never before.

Jordan DeSilva – brings variety to the bowling attack as he is the only left arm bowler in the team. I probably shouldn't say this, but Jordan is one of my favourite young players and no not because he bowled me out in my last Cup Match but because of his attitude. People think he is cocky but he isn't, he is just confident.

Jim West – Has been missing from international cricket for a while now, but it's good to see him back. Jim earned his spot as he has a high work ethic a trait that other players can learn from. Jim will relish going back to South Africa as he has first hand knowledge of what it is like to bowl there.

Rodney Trott – nicknamed Picnic, small in stature but big in heart. Rodney will have his work cut out for him as he is the only recognised spinner. However, if I know Rodney he will step up to this challenge and look to show people why he is one of Bermudas top spinners.

Former team-mates, let me encourage you to go and do your best and I assure you that if you work hard in Pretoria and bond together as a team anything is possible.

If you don't believe me, let me give you a quick scenario.

Bermuda qualified for the World Cup without three of our top batsmen even playing; remember no Charlie Marshall, no Glenn Blakeney and no Clay Smith as I got injured in the very first match.

However, it was through hard work, a solid game plan, team bonding, players understanding their roles and everybody in the team contributing that we were able to overcome the odds.

Having said all of that, it is time for action and as the players know from when I was manager in Canada I like to give incentives to my players. So the first player to score a hundred or get five wickets in a match I am putting up $200.

Motto for the week: Whoever said, 'It's not whether you win or lose that counts,' probably lost – Martina Navratilova, American Tennis Player.