Local cricket officials are hoping the arrival on the Island yesterday of Dr. Michael Seepersaud and Jeffrey Dujon will help to strengthen the cricketing relationship between Bermuda and the West Indies.

Bermuda Cricket Board of Control President El James said that sending the top two members of the West Indies Cricket Development Committee - Seepersaud is the chairman and Dujon is the assistant - was a clear indication the West Indies Cricket Board were responding positively when countries coming under their jurisdiction wanted information, help and advice.

"Naturally we are pleased to have these officials arrive here for talks which we know will help us," said James. "We are attempting to develop a closer working relationship with the West Indies Cricket Board and hoping to use the occasion to show them what our programme is all about and to see how they can help us make improvements.

"We are going to look at our total programme with them and see if there is any way we can work jointly with them to achieve our goals.

"We have aims and goals but we thought it was best to have some input from them before forging ahead blindly.

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Getting them involved in one way or another would certainly help us to benefit in the long run."

James felt that the WICB would react similarly to other smaller cricketing countries that, like Bermuda, were members of the Americas region and were attempting to develop their own programmes.

"It should be made clear that they are not here to help implement anything that we have on the table, they are simply coming to talk, listen to our plans and needs and perhaps report back to their own board,'' he explained.

While it is known that the BCBC privately has been frustrated over the lack of assistance that has been received from the WICB in recent years, the President made it clear that he would not be taking an opportunity to express criticism.

The West Indies officials are due to have an official meeting with the Board this afternoon after meeting with new Sports Minister Randy Horton, who was chairman of the BCBC's Youth and Development Committee last year.

The visitors are also expected to be taken to various cricket grounds tomorrow and Saturday.