Bermuda national cricket team leave next week for their final preparations in the Caribbean. I really don't want to sound like a broken record but after reading Janeiro Tucker's interview in the January 20 edition of The Royal Gazette, concerning youngsters needing to get serious, I have to ask the question again – do they not know or understand what is at stake?

You are all about to travel to the Caribbean and I want to encourage all of you to use this time wisely and maximise the opportunity to fine tune yourself for what will be a gruelling competition in South Africa.

Your first test will be when you arrive in Trinidad – be not confused, this will be a test of your mental character. I am almost certain Jeremiah (physical trainer) will be there to greet you with a smile.

The work you will do in Trinidad will be excruciating but if you put the work in and push yourself, you will reap the rewards. This training camp will make you ask yourself about how much you really love the game and what you as a player want to accomplish for your team – what is your heart's desire for Bermuda cricket? If you think that the work that you are putting in here on the Island is enough, then let me assure you the best is yet to come.

What really amazes me about all of this is that there is so much competition for places in the team that if there is one way to gain an advantage over another player it would be through fitness.

Fitness will play a major role in South Africa due to the heat and the intensity of the games. Being able to recover, to be ready to play the next game after having been through a gruelling battle a day or two before is absolutely necessary. If not, chances are you will fail. As a young player looking for a spot, you need to be showing your coach or coaches that they can depend on you.

As you travel, required to play several matches at different locations against different opposition, there will be many factors that will be assessed. Coaches will certainly take note of who is able to adapt to different circumstances as well as who is able to analyse and identify the opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Fitness, fitness, fitness once again will come back to haunt you because if you are tired physically and mentally you can not think, your reaction time is slow, which results in dropped catches, bad shot selection and inconsistent bowling, to name just a few.

It may sound as if I am only targeting you as youngsters, but every single player in this team should be worried about his spot.

There is only a handful of players that can be certain of their spot thus far. Out of the 19 players training, only nine can be guaranteed a spot in the final squad. This would leave 10 players fighting for the last five or six spots, depending on how many players each country are allowed for their final squad.

On a slightly different note, I just wonder if we have really tapped into all of our resources in terms of players. From the local players I know we have the best of the best, but when I look around Bermuda during the summer I have seen several foreign-born players from cricketing nations. I wonder, could there be another Saleem Mukuddem on the Island that we do not know about?

This tour will make or break some of you. In some ways the team will pick itself from their performances. However, the selectors will have an extremely tough job to pick a final squad for South Africa. What's tricky about this tour coming up is that the spin bowlers are expected to do well as they normally do in the West Indies. However, in South Africa the wickets are greener and more conducive for fast bowling and not spinners.

The fast bowling department will be looked at closely, I am sure. In the past our fast bowlers have struggled in the Caribbean, so if any of you young fast bowlers can perform well throughout this tour that will definitely be a bonus for you.

In the past on tours like this, Gus Logie has brought in former West Indies players to talk with and assist the team in their preparations. I am sure the same will happen this time around. I urge all of you to listen attentively and absorb all of what is being said. Do not be afraid to ask questions as the information these gentlemen have is priceless.

Having said all of that, I want to wish you all the best as you embark on your final preparations. There will be times when you ask yourself, why am I here and it is during those times that you have to push a little harder. Go over and beyond the call of duty, push yourselves beyond any limit that you have been to.

Lastly, I leave you with these words, "Pick yourself".