Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) affiliates are being ?left in the dark? over important issues facing the sport.

That, according to former top cricketer Dennis Wainwright, who claims affiliates haven?t met with Board executives since last February ? five months prior to the pivotal ICC Trophy World Cup qualifiers in Ireland.

Question marks over who is actually making the key decisions in cricket, says Wainwright, are reinforcing concerns that the BCB is being operated like a ?clever dictatorship?.

?I think one of the biggest problems we have is that affiliates are always pointing fingers at the Board when, in fact, they have representatives there,? said Wainwright. ?All the affiliates do is sit back and complain instead of using their power.

?The Board is not the end all . . . they are only a representative of the affiliates who can get together and call for a general or special meeting if they feel they are being deliberately kept in the dark or haven?t heard any reports.

?However, when one begins asking questions there are those on the Board who, for whatever reason, tend to become defensive ? and this is very unfortunate.?

The former Flatts and St.George?s star wicketkeeper also raised questions over the Board?s ability to lead the Island into what promises to be an exciting new era on the crest of Bermuda?s qualification for the 2007 World Cup.

?The Island?s best administrators are not on the Board and some of them are not even in the clubs because for whatever reason they can?t be bothered,? he said. ?Consequently, those who do attend these general meetings end up in positions to run cricket and they are not necessarily the best administrators, but willing to put the time in. And in the end it?s the sport which suffers and also the clubs.?

Another disturbing trend Wainwright said he had observed was the steady decay of the overall infrastructure of the domestic programme.

?Our national programme is doing great but domestically things have been neglected. I think what is happening here is that the Board is overburdened trying to keep on top of things both internationally and domestically. And you can easily get caught up in one and neglect the other ? and this has happened before.

?Right now the domestic programme is suffering because of the success of the international programme, and we just don?t have quality administrators. Affiliates are out there are complaining about this and that but I always ask the question ?what are you doing about it?? ?Why doesn?t your club speak up??

?It?s no secret clubs aren?t happy with the present situation, but they are the ones who have allowed things to happen by not participating or making their presence felt. This is a very unfortunate situation we have here, but the affiliates also have the power to make a difference.

?But as long as those who aren?t happy continue to sit by and do absolutely nothing at all to help, then you have to take your hat off to those who have made the commitment to serve in administrative roles whether it be at club or Board level.?