BERMUDA will face two countries with differing fortunes when they play in the Tri-Nations series against Zimbabwe and Canada next week in full One Day Internationals in Trinidad. The president of the Canadian Cricket Association, Banikwari Lal (Ben) Sennik, told this week that Canada are endeavouring to attain Test status over the next 10 years. Meanwhile Zimbabwe have voluntarily opted out of playing Test matches ? such has been the destruction of its cricketing programme.

The Zimbabwe government withdrew the team from all Tests this year and replaced the national board, but retained controversial chairman Peter Chingoka, who has been investigated by police and auditors. Most of the senior players have refused to play because of a pay dispute with the authorities and former captains Tatenda Taibu and Heath Streak quit the team.

Now Zimbabwe's side is full of youngsters with very limited international experience.

In fact Pommie Mbangwa, the former Zimbabwe bowler, bemoaned the state of cricket in his county and has pleaded with officials to "agree on a way to move things forward".

In an interview with The Daily Times of Pakistan, Mbangwa, who is commentating for television during the ODIs between the West Indies and Zimbabwe said of the inexperienced side which was sent to the Caribbean: "There have been problems in Zimbabwe cricket for a long time and they have been out there for everybody to see.

"Here we have a side whose average age is around 20-years-old, and what is sad is that you have young players learning the game against players twice their age and several times their experience," he said. "This is what the problems between the board and the players have brought on Zimbabwe cricket, and the sooner it's sorted out, the better."

But Bermuda's national coach Gus Logie said he didn't think Zimbabwe would be too worried about playing Bermuda. He said this week: "They are rebuilding but I think that Zimbabwe will be quietly confident playing against teams like us and Canada. However they have lost so many name players ? their better players ? but they are building up experience wise. They will be growing in confidence the more they play together. Obviously coming up against us they will feel they will have the upper hand and we have to go out there and play to the best of our ability. If we can do that I think the outcome will be something we will be happy about."

But although Zimbabwe may be confident against Bermuda it doesn't look as if things will get any better in the near future for the African country who are currently being crushed by the West Indies in their series of ODIs.

How different things were for Zimbabwe only six years ago during the African country's last tour of the West Indies when they came close to beating the hosts and showed promise. And then four years ago, the West Indies narrowly avoided losing the one-day series during their tour of Zimbabwe.

"Unfortunately, things have gone pear-shaped about the same time that Zimbabwe had been able to get a side together that in time would have been very competitive," Mbangwa said.

"All of the things said by the players that have chosen not to play for Zimbabwe must hold some water. Collectively, anybody who has any love for Zimbabwe cricket has to come together, and accept that things have been done wrong in the past, and agree on a way to move things forward."

He added that it would have been thrilling to see some of the more experienced Zimbabwe players ? such as Andy Flower, who is currently playing for Essex, and Heath Streak who is captaining Warwickshire ? come back and play for the country again.

Zimbabwe's team manager in the Caribbean, Andy Pycroft, told The Nation he wants to put in the background the politics and the economics that have afflicted Zimbabwe's cricket in recent times. Instead he wants to concentrate on developing their reconstructed, inexperienced side.

"We're looking at cricket ? not politics ? and trying to prepare this new side as quickly as we can," he said.

And Pycroft is optimistic they will make the type of progress to ensure they return to Test cricket early next year.

"We wouldn't be doing what we're doing unless we believe it was possible," Pycroft said. "The time frame set to try and get back into Test cricket is February next year. We've very much been focused on one-day cricket because we believe that's the way to bring the side through and then get back into longer cricket once we've got the experience that we need."

Pycroft, who played three Tests and 20 one-day internationals for Zimbabwe between 1983 and 1992, said: "A lot of people have written Zimbabwe cricket off with the problems they've had, but there is still a lot of potential there. The mood's been very good. It's a very young side. The average age is only something just over 20 years old, forced on us because a lot of players have given up in the recent past."

Logie and Bermuda's players are excited about returning to Trinidad for the Tri-Nation series ? they were in Trinidad, Logie's home country, last month on a training trip.

"All systems are go," said Logie before he and the team left Bermuda on Wednesday. "We have two days of training and then a game (against a Trinidad Combined Club XI) and then we have to get ready for the series."

Although Logie and the team will miss the talented offspinning allrounder Delyone Borden, the coach said that any lingering injury niggles "have has been sorted out by the medical team here in Bermuda".

He added: "When we get there we will do what we have to do."

Bermuda will be able to watch the Zimbabwe/Canada game ahead of taking on Canada.

Of going up against the Canadians, Logie said: "We have a fair amount of information about Canada. We have played them and we know them. But there are two new players we have not seen before."

Those players are Stewart Heaney, an Australian-raised Canadian and Geoff Barnett, a Kiwi who holds a Canadian passport. Both are batsmen and Barnett will likely open and Heaney will bat in the middle of the order. "There are two players we have not seen. We just have to make sure that when we see them against Zimbabwe we assess them pretty quickly. They play Zimbabwe before us so we do have chance to see them play," said Logie.

And Logie knows that Canada could quite easily be bringing in more overseas cricketers with family ties to Canada.

"It won't be too long before they have more. They can cast a wide net ? they have many choices and we have to work with what we have," he said adding that is one of the advantages big countries have.

Logie said he was happy with Bermuda's play in the recent 20-20 World Cricket Classic where Bermuda lost in the final to South Africa.

"We saw the discipline and approach becoming better and that is something to build upon. The confidence of the players will also help but at the same time we do know the areas we have to work on. We have to make sure we think more in terms of our bowling and make sure we vary our tactics as much as we can. These are things that come with experience and the more we play the more experience we get and the more confidence we will get. I think at the end of the day the process is going in the right direction."

And Logie also has seen an improvement in the players' concentration. "I have seen the concentration level among the players get better. In 50 overs I would like to see us batting through many times. I hope the guys who are getting 50s and 60s go on to move into the 90s and 100s. I think if we can get players putting a high price on their wicket and making sure when we bowl they concentrate on every bowl the sky is the limit."