Nominal Cup Match MVP Chris Douglas is out of the Bermuda team for the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier in Antigua.

The reasons for his exclusion are uncertain because the Bermuda Cricket Board did not take the traditional route to publicise the change before the squad departed for the Caribbean yesterday, but instead did so through social media.

What is known is that, after the original squad was announced on October 8, the BCB had to hold off on final approval until all players had met Covid-19 protocols.

Antigua declared when it was chosen as host of the much delayed tournament that all visitors would need to be vaccinated as well as provide a negative PCR test in the 72 hours before arrival.

Whatever the reason for Chris Douglas’s omission, missing out on an international tournament recall would come as a huge blow to a player who had enjoyed a dominant season in all three formats.

The left-handed opening batsman’s replacement from the standby list is Jabari Darrell, the St George’s seam bowler, who has sprung from obscurity on to the national radar after one full season at senior domestic level.

The youngster joins three other players from the St George’s side that similarly came up on the rails to pip Southampton Rangers and Somerset to the Twenty20 Premier Division title on net run-rate.

Macai Simmons rivalled Chris Douglas as one of the form batsmen of the season before a cruel injury ruled him out of Cup Match, while Allan Douglas Jr put behind him a personal horror show in the Annual Classic — he was not necessarily alone in that regard — by smashing three T20 centuries that led the fast-finishing East Enders to a title that scarcely seemed possible halfway through the summer.

The fourth and final St George’s player is club captain Onias Bascome.

On paper, Bermuda go into the seven-team, single round-robin tournament as third favourites behind Canada and the United States, but there are enough holdovers from the 2019 qualifiers on home soil for the team now captained by Kamau Leverock not to have any fear of the higher-rated sides.

With Delray Rawlins highly motivated to end his most difficult year as a professional on a positive note, Canada and the US can consider themselves put on notice.

The other countries in the qualifier are Argentina, Bahamas, Belize and Panama.

The withdrawal of Cayman Islands, who were meant to be Bermuda’s first opponents in Antigua, means that by the time coach Herbie Bascome’s squad open against the US on November 8 at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the Americans will be contesting their third of six matches.

Presuming there are no stumbles against the minnows, the second pivotal fixture will be against Canada at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on November 11.

The top two countries move on to one of two Global Qualifiers that will be the final step in the pathway to the World Cup in Australia next year in October and November.

Bermuda squad

Kamau Leverock (captain), Rodney Trott (vice-captain), Okera Bascome, Onias Bascome, Zeko Burgess, Jabari Darrell, Allan Douglas Jr, Kyle Hodsoll, Malachi Jones, Tre Manders, Delray Rawlins, Dominic Sabir, Macai Simmons, Dion Stovell.

Schedule

Nov 8: United States, 1.30pm.

Nov 10: Bahamas, 1.30pm.

Nov 11: Canada, 9.30am.

Nov 11: Panama, 1.30pm.

Nov 13: Belize, 9.30am.

Nov 14: Argentina, 1.30pm.