As we continue to address the issues concerning Bermuda cricket I wish to bring to your attention to another problem that is fixable.

What I have found among today's players is the lack of knowledge concerning the game.

Too many players play the game, but do not take time out to be students of the game. Therefore, more often then not games are lost because of a lack of understanding on how to handle different situations.

Why should a player be a student of the game? Simple, so that they can become more proficient in what they set out to do.

Players that are students of the game are more likely to win games then those who are merely playing without a purpose, hoping for the best.

The intent of this article is not to attack any individual player or team, but to merely expose the facts.

As a former captain on numerous occasions I have asked a bowler what field he wanted to set and he did not have a clue.

That is pretty sad, as the object of a bowler is to limit the amount of runs scored, so if you don't know what field you want to bowl to, then how do you expect to contain the batsman.

What is even worse than that is when our current captains around the island can not set a field either.

As I am a technical freak and thrive off of the tactical part of the game, I often sit and watch teams play with the focus of analysing the captain and the bowler to see what strategies they are trying to employ against batsmen.

It's unfortunate to say that more often than not there appears to be no strategy.

Do not get me wrong, learning the game does not just happen when you are fielding. As a player you have to also learn the game from a batting standpoint too.

You cannot imagine how many games are won and lost because players do not calculate how many runs are needed off of how many balls, as players still look at overs instead of balls.

You also have to learn the game from a fielding perspective.

Especially when a game gets tight and you have to actually count the balls because you may be trying to keep a certain batsman on strike or off strike, depending on the situation.

Basically, there are loads of scenario's that could present itself from all aspects of the game and you have to always be aware of what's going on.

What we as coaches need to start doing is breaking the game of cricket down and actually doing more theory with our players.

When teams go training these days it is all about batting, bowling and fielding. So when do the players actually get to learn about the game. One thing I always do with my team is a "what if situation".

What if basically gives the team different scenarios that may occur during a game situation and as a team we sit and discuss the best way to deal with that situation.

Then what I would do is actually take one of the scenarios and apply it to a training session to see how the players actually carry it out.

Again, though I must plead to the players from the past to give back to your clubs.

You have an abundance of knowledge and you are keeping it to yourselves.

When I was growing up I was extremely fortunate to have a brother in Wendell Smith who many would regard as a master tactician.

I recall coming home seeing papers all over the table where he was going over field placements for certain bowlers.

Then he would have different field placing for different batsman.

All of his work was done at home prior to the game so that when he got to the game his game plan as a captain was already put in place, in his brain.

Today I sit and find it hard to find a captain who has the passion to prepare in such a way. Even if you are not a captain, you can still prepare yourself. As the experts would say 'you do not have to be a captain to think like one'.

For us as a country to move forward we need to start developing the complete player.

Players have to start raising the bar and setting higher standards and demanding more of themselves.

A lesson for all players, a student of cricket with knowledge is just like an education degree, once you have it no one can take it away from you.

Motto for the week: I always felt that my greatest asset was not my physical ability; it was my mental ability - Bruce Jenner