The Bermuda ICC Trophy captain has apparently had a re-think over joining the dethroned Eastern Counties champions, but if he does return to Devonshire Recreation Club it is unlikely he will be captain.

"I was thinking about the future of my career,'' said Steede yesterday in confirming his decision. "I am still young and figured that Devonshire were the better of the two options.

"In the next three years we have the ICC and next year we will have the Super Eight, so I had to take a lot into consideration.'' Steede, who led Bermuda to a fourth-place finish in the ICC tournament in Kenya earlier this month, was linked to a move east at the end of the 1993 season.

He beat out two other applicants, according to St. David's, for a player/coach position and had already mapped out a programme for the 1994 campaign.

The bright idea of joining the team he has starred for throughout the late 1980s and early '90s in the Eastern Counties somehow turned dim during the past few months, which were dominated by his national team commitment.

The first thing that comes to mind is breach of contract. But Steede said he never signed a contract, a claim that is substantiated by the ignorance of a key St. David's figure.

"I don't know what agreement was made between him and the club,'' said Delby Borden, cricket committee chairman at St. David's, "but I can say he was offered a position as coach.'' St. David's secretary Stuart Crockwell, when contacted yesterday, chose not to comment until after an emergency meeting.

Steede also denied that any money had changed hands. He was rumoured to be offered $6,000 a year for the position.

The cricketing fraternity largely viewed St. David's move as a bold one, seeing as Steede holds no coaching qualifications.

But a key factor in him winning the job was a plan to tutor youth players, which is more suited to Steede's professional expertise.

Critical in the player's most recent decision were St. David's prospects for competitiveness.

"There are quite a bit of senior players not playing this season and quite a few players who said they might join but didn't make the move,'' said Steede.

"We are looking at a young and inexperienced team. If I were at the end of my career I would've looked to do it -- coaching young players -- but I have to think about my immediate future.

"There are some trophies out there that I want to win with Devonshire Rec., like the Central Counties, and there is the involvement with the national team.'' Borden reacted to the news with unexpected calm.

"We can't lose something we never had, but Albert would be a loss to any team because he's a great player.

"We would love to have his services, but if he decides to play with somebody else we can't do anything about it.'' Does this about-turn affect Steede's chances of playing for St. David's as they seek to regain the Eastern Counties Cup? "We stay on good books, no matter what,'' replied Borden.

Devonshire, stunned by Steede's initial `move', are not exactly salivating over the realisation of having the 25-year-old back in the fold, it is believed.

So, that makes it a certainty they will look elsewhere for leadership for the upcoming season.

The club were due to name a new captain on Sunday but that has been deferred until some time this week with Anthony Amory among the front-runners. Steede trained with Devonshire over the weekend and his officially rejoining the team will be decided upon at the meeting.

The 1991 league champions and 1991 and '92 Camel Cup winners were faced with the loss of Jason Lewis and Mark and John Ray to Nationals. But they have been out training, as has James Pace.

Pace is with his third team in four years and returns to Devonshire after one fateful year as captain in which the Islanders surrendered the Eastern Counties Cup to bitter rivals Bailey's Bay.

ALBERT STEEDE -- `. . . Devonshire were the better of the two options.'