last international campaign for most of Bermuda's veteran players, it could mark the end of spinner Bruce Perinchief's cricket career altogether.

At 36, and after more than 20 years in top flight cricket, Perinchief is considering his options, particularly in light of the withdrawal from the league of Nationals, the team he skippered last season.

A decision is not imminent as the player attempts to focus on the ICC, but he admitted recently that retirement was an issue he would address on his return from the Far East.

"Right now I am crossing every bridge as I get there,'' said Perinchief before leaving with the ICC squad last Saturday. "My attention is tuned directly to ICC. The last ICC in Kenya when we finished fourth -- that event took so much out of me emotionally as far as the game was concerned that I took about two months off when I returned before starting to play again.

"Obviously I am hoping that we will win the thing this time around, but we always have to look at the other side of things as well. Realistically, I wonder, in the event that we don't make it, just how I am going to feel about playing on.'' Perinchief said there were several issues pointing him in the direction of retirement.

"It's difficult to say right now what I am going to do, but the truth of the matter is that I am reaching the end of my rope as far as cricket is concerned. I am in pretty good shape physically for a 36-year-old, it's just the mental aspect of the game that's starting to take its toll on me,'' he said. The situation at Nationals, he admitted, had had a negative impact, especially last season when as captain he was unable to get the respect of his players. Lack of assistance from the club itself, he said, also left him frustrated.

Nationals' decision to pull out of domestic cricket didn't come as a surprise to Perinchief, and he doesn't really mind as he had every intention of leaving the club anyway.

"No, I am not surprised to see them pull out, not after the difficulties that we had last year. I always felt this way. I've played cricket for about 22 years, I've managed to play for my country and I just thought that there would have been some respect forthcoming from players, but much to my surprise the respect wasn't there.

"As captain and senior player the respect was never forthcoming. I had made my decision about three-quarters of the way through last season that I wouldn't be returning even if they had a team. At Nationals we always had to give way to rugby or to this and that, and as far as cricket was concerned, from both sides actually, from the administrative side and from the players' side, I was just getting a lot of pressure which I din't think was right.

"That's not the way you run a successful cricket programme, you have to have input from your membership. They have to care about it and they just don't.

There are a few at the club who did some things, but not too many others.

"I wouldn't play there anymore even if they were to change their minds and have another team. They would only have another team if somebody came along and said okay, `I'm willing to do evertything'. And they would say `okay, go ahead then'. That's about it.'' Such was his frustration that even last season the idea of quitting far exceeded any decision about what new club he would join.

"I basically was considering to retire, and that still isn't out of the picture,'' he added.

There have been rumours that Perinchief was heading to either Bailey's Bay or Western Stars, but the player claims he hasn't made up his mind about where he will go or whether he will even play after he returns from Malaysia.

"I honestly don't know who I will play for, if I do play again here. I admire the programme at Western Stars and Bay, they have nice cricket traditions.

They are the major possibilities but I cannot say for sure and I don't want to make any promises to anybody,'' he said.

"I will consider my options when and if the time comes. I think I am trying to get back to the enjoyment part of the game. I have made lots of friends in the national teams and the bulk of them play for those respective clubs. And I know I would enjoy playing with them.'' BRUCE PERINCHIEF -- will weigh up his options on return from the ICC Trophy competition Malaysia.