Cricket is winding down and while last week's Twenty20 was ok we hope that this weekend's cricket with the All-Star games will fare even better and be much more entertaining.

Coach David Moore and his committee have selected some of the best players from this season to go along with national senior and Under-19 players. This will be the first time we have had such an abundance of players on showcase and it is a great opportunity for someone outside of the national set-up to stake a claim for a place in the national squad.

Firstly, to briefly touch on last week's Twenty20 I don't think the spectators got what they deserved and what they were looking for.

While playing at our National Stadium has its benefits it also has it downfalls. The stadium outfield was remarkable as always, however the wicket I thought was too bowler friendly for a Twenty20 game.

The ball at the Stadium seamed, swung, and spun from ball one, which is really not conducive for the Twenty20 game. If that wasn't enough, the boundary was left at the same length which was far too large thus causing teams to have to change the tactics of their original strategy.

When you see teams like St. David's and St. George's, who have been scoring 180-plus every game and then come to a semi-final and a final and the highest score over two days is 133, something is definitely wrong with that picture. I was almost sure the boundaries at the Stadium would have been brought in to make the game more attractive for the spectators.

Personally, before moving on, I want to apologise to the St. George's fans and cricket purists for our poor performance over the two days.

Unfortunately, our team was extremely depleted with several players unavailable as they headed back to school, thus causing people like myself, our president Neil Paynter and former player Brutus Foggo to have to suit up.

While St. David's are crowned the champs I would have loved to have them play us at full strength but the past is now the past and one can only wonder what the result could have been.

This weekend will pit four All-Star teams against each other to showcase their skills. These teams were put together with a focus on the national team, the Under-19 team and some fringe players who could possibly have a future in Bermuda cricket.

Players are being rewarded for having a good season and now could catch the eye of the selectors with a good performance.

The reality is in Bermuda we need our better players playing more quality cricket. This is just one idea that Coach Moore has implemented. What this game does is allow Moore and others to watch and monitor players under one microscope. Normally on a weekend, players are scattered at various venues making it hard for a coach to truly assess a player or players.

Games like these are important because there are different types of players. You have some players who only perform locally, you have some players who perform internationally and then you have some players who perform under pressure and love an occasion or the limelight.

What Bermuda is looking for right now are players who have heart, players who have pride and players who are willing to make a commitment and give their all for their country. It is time for someone to step out of the shadows of the current group of players.

You can consider these as trial games where everyone is on show and if you can put in a great performance, the sky is the limit to what the future holds for you.

Do not sit back and think, oh well OJ Pitcher, Chris Douglas, Chris Foggo is in the team, shucks, and I don't stand a chance. Put pressure on the current group and keep them honest. Be willing to make sacrifices, work extremely hard, push that next player and elevate your game by listening and learning.

Over the next two weeks I just encourage all of the players to put their best foot forward and have fun.