The annual cricket testimonial game has been officially cancelled for the year and its continued existence appears to be in jeopardy.

Just what the future holds for the fundraiser remains to be seen with committee chairman Custerfield Crockwell saying a final decision on its fate will be made early next year.

"We don't know what the future holds, but we are saddened by having to come to this conclusion. It hasn't been a good summer for us at all after having been forced to abandon plans to bring in a tour of prominent West Indian players to help us celebrate this year," said Crockwell.

While still clearly upset over the developments that contributed to the scrapping of the incoming tour in July, Crockwell said their original plans to honour three individuals who have made vast contributions to the sport of cricket over the years will go ahead as planned. A date for the presentation will be announced in due course even though the actual testimonial game is now off.

The trio to be honoured are former cricketer Rupert Scotland, former long-serving umpire Luther Wilkin and former league executive the late Dudley Ebbin, who passed away this summer.

"We told them that we were going to honour them and that's what we intend to do. We don't know when, we are meeting about it soon, but we are definitely going to go ahead with those plans," said Crockwell.

Crockwell lays the blame for cancellation of the tour and the testimonial game squarely on the shoulders of the two Cup Match clubs, St. George's and Somerset, and the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control.

The conflict arose over a clash of playing dates - the testimonial tour date occurring on the same Saturday as the customary final Cup Match trials on July 27.

With the two clubs remaining steadfast and refusing to agree with the alternative suggestions put forward by the testimonial committee, the BCBC refused to sanction the tour by the veterans - to have been led by former West Indies Test skipper Sir Viv Richards - and it was scrapped.

"The tour being called off was a real letdown for us. There wasn't a legitimate attempt to compromise and work something out with us. We could have played the two games on the Sunday and even the Monday, but just to have the blanket thrown over it and kill it was disgusting," said Crockwell.

"What can you do at that late stage? You just cannot go out there and get players to travel abroad for an event like ours. They need to know well in advance so they can plan, they have families too."

The chairman said he hoped both the sponsors, who came forward to support the huge undertaking, combined with the general public, who were looking forward to see the former greats in action, would understand their position.

"We arranged this event in the best interests of cricket, starting back in 1995 when we first honoured Clarence Parfitt," he said. "Thanks to the sponsors and the response of the public we have been able to plough a lot of money into the development of cricket in Bermuda over the years and it's sad when we come to a stage of having to consider steps like cancelling it altogether.

"It's a shame, and we hope the entire public will also look at it this way and not lay the blame on us."