Bermuda will be without the services of key player Delray Rawlins for the third and final leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B to be held in Jersey next month.

The Bermuda Cricket Board confirmed that the all-rounder has been omitted from the national team because of his commitments with English county side Sussex.

“Delray Rawlins advised us through his agent that he is unavailable to represent Bermuda at this time due to his obligations at Sussex,” Cal Blankendal, the BCB executive director, told The Royal Gazette.

“We support him in this matter and we wish him all the best for the remainder of the season and look forward to him joining us for the 2023 World Cup qualifiers pending his professional duties.”

Rawlins had been among seven changes made to the team that travelled to Uganda for the second leg last month.

However, Sussex have suffered a slew of injuries this season, the most recent being captain Tom Haines, who will miss up to six weeks with a broken hand sustained in the County Championship drew with Leicestershire last week.

His place will be taken by St George’s fast bowler Zeko Burgess. Blankendal said Burgess was always in the plans despite being among a group of experienced players missing from the last tour in a 14-member squad the BCB announced last week.

“Burgess was part of the original squad,” he added. “We had to confirm his availability some time ago with his employer.

“That was done but we also wanted to send one final revised team list, as we were always aware of the possibility Rawlins would be unavailable due to the further commitments with Sussex.

“He has indicated that to us and we welcome Zeko into the team, and we always wish the entire team much success as they had head to Jersey right after Cup Match.

Play will run from August 2 to 14, with only the winner guaranteed a place in the next round of World Cup qualifying.

Uganda lead Hong Kong by one point with Jersey, who inflicted a record 291-run defeat on Bermuda, close on their heels.

“The Bermuda Cricket Board wishes to thank all of the employers for allowing their employees who are members of the Bermuda team to travel to Jersey.

“We know the challenges they face to make sure their individual enterprises are profitable and operating with sufficient human resources. And we want to thank each and every one of them for allowing the group of 14 to travel overseas and hopefully they can come back and make Bermuda and also their employers proud.”

Bermuda have already been eliminated and will be keen to salvage some pride after a disappointing campaign, in particular in Uganda, where they relied heavily upon a second-string team and were well beaten in all five matches — not at any stage batting into the 30th over.

The national squad will again be led by all-rounder Kamau Leverock, who plays for Rode Park & Lawton in England.

Leverock is among a group of British-based players in the squad, which also includes Stefan Kelly, of Newport Cricket Club, Jamar Stovel, who plays for Oxford Downs Cricket Club, and Cameron Jeffers, of Handsworth Cricket Club.

Terryn Fray, the Bailey’s Bay captain, has been recalled, while their are debut call-ups for Willow Cuts pair Joseph Basden and Ras Solomon Burrows, Khiry Furbert, of Western Stars, and Zeri Tomlinson, of Cleveland.

Other players missing from the previous tour are Malachi Jones, Dalin Richardson, Amari Ebbin, Najiyah Raynor, Dennico Hollis and Jelani Richardson.

Bermuda will be coached by Niraj Odedra, who was recently appointed head coach on a ten-week contract. The 47-year-old Indian takes over the team from Cal Waldron, who served as the interim coach during the trip to Uganda.

Waldron has been retained as assistant coach, while Elliot Wilson and Courtney Trott will also accompany the team in the capacity as the director of cricket and manager respectively.

The locally based players in the Bermuda squad depart for Jersey on July 31.