Plans that call for senior league cricket to return to an eight-team format are among a host of recommendations offered by national coach Mark Harper in a report recently distributed to clubs and yesterday obtained by The Royal Gazette.

And they are bound to spark hot debate when Bermuda Cricket Board of Control hold a special meeting tomorrow at Warwick Workmen's Club (10.00 a.m.)

While it remains to be seen how many of the coach's suggestions will be accepted by affiliates, the general consensus is that if just half are taken on board it will result in a sizeable change to the way cricket in Bermuda is run.

Over the past four months since his appointment, Guyanese-born Harper says he has taken time to evaluate the needs of Bermuda cricket and believes that all of his recommendations should be implemented if the Island wants to keep up with progress being made by other nations of similar size.

In fact, Harper went out on a limb yesterday, stating that Bermuda had clearly been losing ground, pointing to their recent performances earlier this year against ICC countries which they used to handily defeat.

"The Bermuda cricket fraternity must realise that the cricketing world is on a fast track and it will pass this Island by if initiatives are not taken and attitudes changed immediately to uplift and keep pace," said Harper.

Bermuda will remain as a cricketing nation with great passion but lacking the ambition, commitment and desire to make it to another level."

The coach firmly believes that the local programme will stagnate without changes in all areas from league format, club facilities, umpiring to school cricket.

But he doesn't stop there, also calling for the league season to begin in April and then finish before Cup Match with the Knock Out competition to start in August, and September reserved for visiting teams and a Bermuda cricket festival.

The popular Eastern Counties, he says, should follow suit with the other counties so that all games are played under the same regulations. He suggests that the Eastern Counties adopt a 50 or 60 overs contest with bowling and field placing restrictions to make it more competitive.

Cup Match didn't escape Harper's recommendations either, with the coach suggesting that the two clubs play a one-day 55 overs game in addition to the mid-summer classic, although he wasn't specific about when the game should be played.

"Bermuda for all the natural talent that this Island produces and outstanding players that have represented this Island over the years have yet to win the Americas Cup, ICC Trophy and qualify for the World Cup and to have consistent competitive performances in the Red Stripe competition," said the coach in his report, which was headed "Bermuda Cricket The Way Forward - Recommendations For Development."

Haper added: "It was very evident at the last ICC tournament in Canada this summer that teams Bermuda defeated comfortably in the past and relatively new teams to the competition had made significant improvements while Bermuda had remained at the same level."

He was also mindful of Bermuda's youth team's demise in the Under-19 International tournament held in the Island this summer, when the local boys were brushing aside all opponents and were favoured to win only to be decisively beaten in the end by Canada.

"Our youngsters proved that they were undoubtedly the most talented team in the competition but were defeated by a more competitive and experienced team in the last match which further underlined the fact that talent alone is not always enough," said the coach.

Harper said that his "proposed recommendations" would make a significant impact on the development and improvement of cricket here in the Island, some of which would obviously need cash to implement. Others, he noted, could be implemented without any financial assistance.

"Cricket is developing rapidly in the major cricketing nations where emphasis is placed on harnessing, developing and fast tracking latent talent and quality competition at all levels which prepares players for the challenges of international cricket. "Associate and affiliate cricketing nations are striving to improve their standards by being more professional in all aspects of their cricket development and some have started to reap the reward of their initiatives," wrote Harper in his report.

"There is an urgent need to lift the quality of cricket by having local players compete often in a competitive atmosphere and a greater investment in talented, capable youths. There is also the need for indoor and outdoor facilities for the national teams to prepare, upgrading of club training facilities, better preparation and maintenance of some pitches and grounds and a greater appreciation of discipline, commitment and standards necessary in all departments."

The recommendation of a return to the Super Eight will obviously be favoured by the stronger clubs, less so by the weaker teams. The Super Eight was last played five years ago.

Harper, however, puts emphasis on teams being competitive, claiming that there is no value when a stronger team scores a decisive victory over a weaker team.

"`In my opinion there are too many teams that are not very competitive and except for a miracle the results are a foregone conclusion when certain fixtures are played. The league competition should be tough and very competitive, where every team has a good chance if they play well on the day to win the game.

"It should be structured so that the quality players face each other every week thus bringing out the best in each other and teams which play well and are competitive but lose the game, are still rewarded, therefore interest is maintained for all clubs throughout the competition," he said.

He suggested two divisions with promotion and relegation and bonus points with the First Division to include seven teams and an Under-21 team with a player-coach to aid in development of the younger players.

In addition to having active senior, Under-19 and Under-15 national squads Harper recommended an increase in visits by professional players and international teams, the arranging of more coaching clinics, and that outstanding youth players be sent to cricket academies in Grenada.

"We need a little more compact school programme, the one we have is tied into the school season but hopefully we can try and invigorate the entire programme in the schools and try and produce some good players from that," said the coach.

BCBC president El James said that Harper's report contained recommendations that would benefit local cricket.

"We need to go ahead with momentum now that we have so many things in the right place such as a junior programme and a national coach," he said.