Bermuda all-rounder Delray Rawlins has all but ruled himself out of the Cricket World Cup Challenge League B series in Uganda next month despite backing the appointment of Cal Waldron as interim head coach.

In his weekly column, Rawlins, who is in the last year of his existing contract with English county cricket club Sussex, believes the ascension of his former youth-team coach at PHC to the top job in the national set-up could be “a real positive”.

He said: “I know there may be some who question his credentials having not played at the international level but it could be one of those things where he comes in with fresh ideas and something different, something new that someone who has probably in and around the set-up for a period of time hasn’t seen. That could be a real positive.

“I think Cal is really well known in the cricket community around Bermuda. No one would say he doesn’t know the players. He’s got a lot of experience playing on the domestic scene and has a good cricket brain. It will be interesting to see where it goes and whether Cal’s appointment is a short or long-term plan.”

Bermuda are at the foot of the six-nation Challenge League B after losing all but one of their opening five 50-overs contests played in Oman in December 2019 — the other, against Kenya, was abandoned as a draw because of rain.

The remaining countries are leaders Uganda, Italy, Hong Kong and Jersey. Only one team will qualify for the next repechage phase at the end of a 15-match process on the road to India in 2023 that has been significantly delayed by the pandemic and takes in stops in Uganda (June 14 to 28) and Jersey (July 28 to August 10).

This has led many to believe that Bermuda, although not mathematically out of the running, should be focusing on development in planning for this double engagement. No matter the squad make-up, the timing could not be worse for Rawlins, who needs to impress in this crucial summer to secure his immediate future.

“I haven’t spoken with Cal or anyone at the Bermuda Cricket Board to determine my availability. But this tournament is at a pretty crucial stage in my season; we’re right in the middle and then there’s also Twenty20 [Vitality Blast] coming up. It might happen, but at the minute, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”