The Bermuda Cricket Board have announced a training squad of 43 players for preparation of the Division Three qualifiers to be held in Bermuda in April next year.President Lloyd Fray’s comment when he was elected that there was a serious disconnect between the players and the Board has never been so true.This disconnect will never be reconnected and will totally destroy Bermuda cricket if we allow personal egos to get in the way of basic common sense.Some may think that I sound like a broken record but until something is said or done I will continue to push the Stephen Outerbridge issue as that is where the disconnect starts, the captaincy!Forget about the reasons that many have been talking about recently, i.e. David Hemp shouldn’t be captain because he is not in Bermuda and doesn’t train with the team, or as my brother Wendell said, he is too old.The main reason why he is not the man for the job is because there is a major disconnect between Hemp and the players, made evident in the last tour. One didn’t have to be there to see and know how the players rallied around Steven in the last game, a fighting spirit/attitude that hadn’t been seen previously on the tour. Hence Bermuda left UAE on a winning note. Stephen is respected by the players and has earned their trust. Therefore, he is part of the answer to the reconnection, but certainly not the whole answer.As I sat and read my brother Wendell’s article about Hemp being too old I have to say I disagree with him.To me David Hemp is still the best batsman in the team, so certainly we should still use him in the team.Since 2007 Hemp has been a consistent performer for Bermuda. Many of us expected even more from him but he has been steady and a consistent performer and we cannot take that from him. What Hemp does bring to the table is a professional attitude and approach. These are attributes our young players can learn from.It is important that Hemp sees us through this tournament and helps us to regain our Division Two status. After that the ball should be in his court if he wishes to continue. Why wait until Hemp retires before we put that new captain in place? Make the change now while players such as Hemp, Janeiro (Tucker) and Lionel (Cann) are still around to pick their brains and on field support.Sadly though, even with Stephen in place this may not bring about the immediate success we are looking for. We have to find a way to ignite the players to want to play for Bermuda. The captaincy is an issue, but it’s only part of the issue. Players too have to look at themselves and ask themselves what they want from the game.The Cricket Board have to also look at themselves and figure out how can they operate better, what can they do to improve the package?Do they have the right coaches in place to get the best from the players?Do they have the facilities in place to train the players adequately?Does the physiotherapist have the expertise and personality to gain the trust of the players?Does the manager have the work ethic and people skills to do his job without disrupting the harmony of the team?These are all questions that need to be asked prior to the start of the April, 2013, preparations. Looking at the past two years of cricket we have taken further steps backwards and questions should be asked and answered. No way do we spend out the amount of money that we do as a cricketing nation and not get answers for why we are performing so poorly.Personally, I think senior players such as Janeiro Tucker and Lionel Cann should be a part of the training sessions but given slightly different tasks to do to avoid the burnout of their bodies. Both players previously have had serious injuries and both players are vital to our success.In reality the training numbers are way too big, and you will be lucky if you get half the players training because of this.Why ask a guy to commit to training for three or four nights a week when you know you are not going to pick him. One can look at the training squad and see that at least 15 to 20 players have absolutely no chance of making the final squad.If the coaching staff want to go that route and have those types of numbers then name a Bermuda A and a Bermuda B team. Inviting the players and giving them the false assumption that they are on equal ground is a major disappointment waiting to happen.Trust is what is lacking right now between players, executive and coaches, bringing us back to the word disconnect.President Fray you have an opportunity to fix this by making one bold decision. Prove to the players your words are more than just hot air and you will have their trust and believe me they will be willing to work for you like never before. The ball is in your court!Quote of the week: The strength of the group is the strength of the leaders Vince Lombardi.