Success at this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier is as critical to the future of Bermuda’s cricket as breathing is to life.

Such was the stark reality offered by national coach Niraj Odedra during an open forum to discuss the state of the game at Police Recreation Club this week.

“How important is oxygen to you? That’s how crucial qualification is,” Odedra said when asked how important it is for Bermuda to win the autumn tournament, which will be held on local soil and include the likes of Panama, Cayman Islands and favourites Canada competing for one spot in the finals.

Odedra’s expression of the significance of a triumphant campaign was backed by BCB executive director Cal Blankendal and president Arnold Manders.

Qualification for next year’s World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States and West Indies, is likely to produce a seven-figure funding windfall from the International Cricket Council for the local governing body to support growth and development at youth, women’s and senior men’s levels of the sport, while failure could irreparably harm the national sport.

“We get 40 per cent from the ICC, 30 per cent from sponsorship, 15 per cent from Government and 15 per cent from other revenue, while the budget is about $1.2 to $1.3 million,” Blankendal said.

“If we qualify, this 40 per cent probably becomes 80 per cent. Qualification is not only important financially, but it’s to keep the game growing and important to youth development.”

Nevertheless, increased financing from the world governing body demands increased international participation, which comes with greater expenditure, and Blankendal explained that even more money would have to be garnered via government grants, enhanced corporate sponsorships, charitable giving and other revenue-producing vehicles to sustain forward momentum beyond this year.

Bermuda are slated to take part in the Cricket World Cup League, which involves participation in one-day internationals and is vital for world-ranking points, which also translate into money.

“When you qualify you might get a million, but if we have contracted maybe 16 players on a decent paycheque, the average price is going to mandate a payout of some $60,000 to $90,000 at their age,” said Blankendal.

“You are going to have to go away on tour for six months. You have to take teams overseas, where players are going to get bonuses and have to travel, so you’re still going to be short by $2 million or $3 million. So the question between us and Niraj is how can we put a budget together that’s reasonable and get the best bang for our buck?

“Qualifying is great, but getting there is scary. As you know with our government, once we actually get to the finish line we get the support, but if you’re almost there and sticking your chest out, you’re not getting that indoor facility and that’s just being frank.

“Qualification will set us ahead for another five or six years. I’m not saying that the game of cricket is growing fast, but eight to ten years will help us in terms of getting an indoor facility and then we can grow the game.”

Any shortfall in financing could set Bermuda further behind more successful associate member countries, many of which the Island stood on par with a little more than a decade ago.

The continued advance of countries such as Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Oman and UAE has created a gulf Bermuda is desperate to close and avoid the prospect of cutting back participation and programmes.

“We’re at an impasse,” said Manders. “We have to qualify.

“If we do not qualify, drastic changes will have to happen because we cannot sustain the seniors, under-19s and the women. Youth cricket will still be alive because sponsors like throwing money at young people and women as well, but we will have to sort out our men’s cricket.

“Unless we can get sponsorship, it’s going to be hard and without us qualifying we may have to go back to how the Board used to operate with one person being at the head making all the decisions and the executive running everything.

“So it’s really important that when you [stakeholders] go back to your clubs you really need to assess and push players towards getting involved with the national programme and striving to play cricket the way it’s supposed to be played.

“That’s relevant to the players, the coaches and all stakeholders in that we have to improve the coaching and development programmes and processes in order to get anywhere.”

Said Blankendal: “From my end it definitely won’t lead to cuts for the youth. The youth are the most funded area of cricket in Bermuda. Everyone wants to see the young people playing.

“I think the women would not be cut because the women haven’t been part of any ICC funding, so they are actually going to get funding. The only issue is how much there will actually be for international competition.

“If we want to send the men away to stay relevant and then want to send the women away as well, they may not go to three tournaments they may just go to one.

“We may have to resort to doing some fundraisers, but that's just being real.

“It could lead to personnel cuts in that you may not have Cal Blankendal, because I’m probably the biggest earner in the office. So if you don’t see me it’s not because I didn’t do a good job in terms of fiscal management, we just didn’t make it, and that’s being real.”

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the current structure of the youth academy is likely to be re-evaluated, with changes possible according to BCB vice-president and chair of development (youth and women) Kellie Smith.

The academy at present operates during the sport’s off-season and this is among the relevant items Smith and Odedra are to examine, particularly as outdoor play stands at the mercy of fickle weather conditions combined with the absence of a purpose built, freely accessible indoor alternative.

“The youth academy right now runs from October to March, so it is more over the winter,” said Smith, who has spearheaded the institution of a pee wee programme and the creation of a women’s league.

“We are going to be looking at revisiting that. I’m going to meet with Niraj and get advice from him as to how we can improve that piece of our youth development, but we have reduced the numbers in there so that our kids can get the services and attention that they need in that programme.”