Favouritism towards certain players, lack of communication and poor administrative decisions may be some of the reasons players are losing interest in representing Bermuda at senior national level. This according to one of the Island's leading cricket officials.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, the senior official said yesterday it was time for those responsible for governing local cricket to do what's best - work in the better interests of the sport or resign and allow those who have the game at heart to step up to the wicket.

Earlier this week Bermuda Cricket Board of Control (BCBC) chief Reggie Pearman explained that the perennial problem of getting players to come out for national team training was again giving him a "huge headache". Both the Island's senior and under-19 national squads are scheduled to see action later this summer during ICC preliminary tournaments, but so far attendance at training has been dismal.

The under-19 squad are scheduled to play in Canada in July while the senior squad will travel to Los Angeles in September in what will serve as a qualifying tournament for the next World Cup.

"A lot of it has to do with what's happening on the Board itself. They haven't explained a lot of things. Some people are on the executive just for the sake of being there - they are just there," said the official.

"They are just there for their own personal agenda. Nobody is looking out for the better interests of the sport.

"It's OK telling the national squad players what's going on, but they don't tell the other players anything. They need to make a concerted effort to address every club on what's really going on. This is not only something for the so-called 16 elite players."

The official said that it was time for the Board to come to terms with some of the poor decisions they had made in the past.

"They have to sit down and look at some of the bad decisions they have made - like making Charlie (Marshall) captain over Clay (Smith) because Colin Blades and Molly (Charlotte Simons) don't like Clay. They are the ones who are killing cricket. They are killing the game and they aren't forward thinking people.

"Anybody forward thinking would play a bit of open cricket because we need to develop young players."

He reckoned that a huge gulf existed between the Board and players because of what he described as favouritism.

"I think that the Board have distanced themselves too far away from the players. They really need to inform the players of what's really taking place because at present they are not involving everybody.

"Even the way they pick the squad turns players away. For example, take a player like Travis Smith. Because he plays Cup Match he gets picked to play in the squad. So what are they telling another young player who bowls good off-breaks - you can't make the squad if you are not playing in Cup Match?

The official went on to suggest that a fairer system of selecting players had to be implemented in order to prevent players from becoming discouraged.

"First of all, when you start picking the team, team selection has got to be fair and they have to involve everybody when they do things - sit down and make a concerted effort. Maybe if the Board went into the clubs they would get a better response.

"Even Mark Harper (national coach) doesn't listen to anybody.

"Everybody told him last year that the under-19 developmental team wouldn't work. Nobody is prepared to allow their youngsters to play for a developmental team - and he still wants to try it this year!"

While several national players are currently actively involved in football, the official dismissed the notion that football was a major cause for players not turning up for national team training.

"Football has nothing to do with it. We need to form a coaches' association in Bermuda like Kenny Thompson is trying to do with football.

"What they (BCBC) should do is allow someone that's really willing to help out come in and get the job done. They just have to be fair to everyone.

"There's certainly more to it than players just not wanting to show up for training. There must be more to the story because why is it that so many of our leading cricketers - both past and present - continue to distance themselves from the sport? Something is seriously wrong at the top."