National squad players must set the standards at their respective clubs in order to help much needed improvements to our game.

When a spectator comes to a cricket game this season they should be able to identify the squad players from the rest of the team. Professionalism must be a standard above the norm, causing those who are aspiring to be great to know what it takes.

Being in the limelight automatically causes the public to assess behaviours and actions in all aspects of one's life. Whether or not they intended to be a role model, it is an automatic consequence of representing their country. When one mentions the words 'role model', many sportsmen often run from that responsibility.

However, any well known sportsman whether great or not is considered a role model. Therefore, they must always be conscious of what they do and say.

One of my expectations of a national squad player is that he should be one of the first to enter the training ground and game field. While many players come to the ground and relax for a while, the squad player should be encouraging them to warm up. Whether they come or not, he should still go and set an example for the rest to follow.

While on the field of play, the squad player, whether captain or not, should be vocal. He should always be respectful of the captain, but be another supporting voice for the captain.

The one most important thing is that the national squad players' performances should be outstanding and on a consistent basis. When one opens the newspaper on a Monday morning, several national squad players' names should be making the headlines.

Look at last weekend's performances just briefly: Justin Pitcher, Delyone Borden, Rodney Trott, Janeiro Tucker, Dwayne Leverock, Jacobi Robinson and Tamauri Tucker all did well for their respective clubs by producing stellar performances. These are names that you as a reader should be seeing a lot of during the summer. The experiences that the squad player have had should help catapult him to the next level, hence the reason why they are already standing out.

Bermuda we need them to understand that they are the ones who can make a difference to cricket in the future through the professionalism that they display. I am challenging all national squad players to make a difference at your club.

Already I see that Cleveland have made Tamauri Tucker captain. While still a youngster, the players respect him and look up to him because of his achievements. Therefore, he must realise that his actions will be scrutinised even more now, both from near and far. I think it is a great move, a positive move by Cleveland as they head into a new direction under new coach Allan Douglas.

Another area that the squad player can help have an influence is encouraging players to do extras. As a national player one must have the desire/passion to want to disengage themselves from the rest of the playing field. One way of doing that is by doing extras.

What do I mean by extras? Well basically it means training and putting in additional work around normal training times.

Growing up as a young cricketer, I used to look up to my brother Wendell, Noel Gibbons and Charlie Marshall, for various reasons.

One they were talented, two they were winners, three and probably the most important one of all, they trained hard. I would always see them running the streets early mornings or late evenings when no one else was training. If they weren't running, they were hitting tennis balls over and over and over, like robots. I knew if I wanted to be great then that was the road I had to follow.

So as you can see they were national squad players who had an impact on my life. They helped make a difference in my career because even though they didn't know I was admiring them I was, but from afar.

Then early in my career I came face to face with Courtney Walsh. Courtney played against Bermuda in a 50-overs game and after the game was done he went and ran 10 laps around Sabina Park. As a youngster I was dumbfounded. Like why would anyone in their right mind after having just played a 50-overs game want to put their body through that?

I sat in awe saying is this guy crazy? One spectator overheard me telling another player there is no way I would do that. So he leaned over and said, "Youngster, if you ever want to be great then that's what it is going to take".

I have said all of that to say this, we as national players never know who is looking or what players are idolising us. Therefore, we must set a trend for all to follow.

It is imperative that we maintain a high level of professionalism and discipline while at our clubs. So today I challenge my fellow national squad players to help make a difference in the game that we all love while you still can.

Cricket. Lovely Cricket!