Injuries to seam bowlers George O?Brien Jr. and Jim West have left national cricket team selectors scrambling to find suitable replacements three-weeks ahead of the squad?s departure to Trinidad for a ten-day training camp.

O?Brien, currently at the Australian Sports Gateway Academy Down Under, is said to be suffering from a nagging back injury while West is harbouring a shoulder injury.

Both players were expected to feature in the Island?s bowling attack during next month?s training camp in national coach Gus Logie?s homeland.

O?Brien has bowled only ten overs in his previous two outings in Australia, claiming a sole scalp on each occasion.

It is understood Board officials were alerted over the St.David?s and St.George?s Cup Match fast bowler?s physical condition by academy officials via e-mail from Australia late yesterday afternoon.

West, who successfully completed cricket studies at the ICC Winter Training Camp in South Africa and toured Dubai with the senior national team earlier this year, is said to have failed a fitness test yesterday.

This latest revelation could further impact an already depleted national squad that will tour Trinidad minus three of ten contracted cricketers who signed semi-professional deals with Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) earlier this year.

Skipper Clay Smith continues to recover from having knee surgery, newly-wed vice-captain Janeiro Tucker is currently overseas on honeymoon, all-rounder Saleem Mukuddem will not accompany a 16-member squad to the Caribbean next month due to work commitments, while Kwame Tucker ? also currently enrolled in cricket studies in Australia ? remains doubtful due to other commitments.

National coach Logie declined to speak with yesterday, however, chairman of national team selectors and former Bermuda skipper Arnold Manders is determined to make do with what players he has at his disposal.

?That?s just the way it is preparing for the World Cup in a country such as ours with very limited resources. So we will have to juggle whatever resources we do have and the general public will just have to be patient with the team itself,? Manders said.

?Given the circumstances, the selectors have a hard job as it is and this situation is frustrating for the coach. He is the one who picks players best suitable for the job but then ends up travelling minus six or seven players he had in his original plans for various reasons. And this is a commitment new to Bermuda where we don?t have that many players to pick from.?

O?Brien?s injury has delayed his senior national team debut and robbed coach Logie of an ideal opportunity to assess the player?s ability against quality batsmen in Trinidad next month.

As for West?s performances in Dubai earlier this year, Manders said: ?I thought he acquitted himself good and I don?t think the coach was displeased with him. But George remains an unknown.?

Bermuda depart for the Caribbean on April 9.

Manders is optimistic whichever team the selectors announce will acquit themselves well in the Caribbean.

?Whether the team we do send to Trinidad win a game or not, I?m sure they?ll do Bermuda proud,?he added. ?I am not too concerned whether they win or not as long as they are competitive ? that?s my major concern at this stage.?