Clay Smith will be missed when Bermuda travel to Argentina for the Americas Cup tournament, but Cricket Board of Control president El James said the squad was just as capable of performing without him - especially with Charlie Marshall at the helm.

Smith, touted as the probable team captain by pundits, resigned from the squad last Friday as he was apparently being lined up for an interview.

He cited family commitments for pulling out, although only a few days earlier he was putting his name forward as the only man to lead the team.

While Smith himself remained tight-lipped yesterday, James said he respected his decision.

"From the reasons he has given us we can understand his decision," he said. "Clay has a family and from what we understand he is due to start a new job very, very soon and therefore it's not possible for him to go on this tour.

"He will be a miss but I am certain he realises his responsibilities to his family and the commitments there and that comes first."

Along with Smith, others spoken of as potential captains were Janeiro Tucker, Albert Steede and Irving Romaine but it would appear when it came down to it, although willing to play, none were keen on accepting the lead role.

James would not specify how the decision to appoint Marshall came about, but seemed relieved all the talk was now over.

"We had some interviews for the captaincy," he said. "We met with several individuals and of course Clay Smith was one. But what we did first was send letters to four or five individuals asking to meet with them so we could assess their interest in the post and we received two letters back, one coming from Clay."

He refused to say who the other person was and so it remains a mystery why that person, presuming it was not Marshall, was not then given the role.

"We were left between a rock and a hard place," said James, adding he was more than happy with the the BCBC's eventual decision. "What we have done for this particular tournament is bring back Charlie Marshall and we are happy he has accepted. He comes into the squad not only as a captain but as a batsman to replace Clay.

"We still had others to consider but we felt Charlie was the best (person) right now. If you look at him, he is probably as fit as he was 10 years ago. He went into the gym for the ICC tournament in the summer and has kept up his membership and continued to train hard and is in good shape."

Accusations that Marshall's appointment was a last-minute decision and that the squad was thrown together were refuted by James.

"We are sending a team of dedicated individuals," he said. "The individuals that worked the hardest, the individuals who have national pride and who have put their all into training and therefore we expect them to put their all into whatever they do in Argentina."