Bermuda Cricket Board are baffled by the failure of affiliates to return within the specified time a crucial questionnaire regarding the future of domestic cricket.

But they are insistent that the apathy shown by clubs will not have any bearing on plans to get the season underway by the middle of next month.

As the weekend deadline approached there were precious few replies to the questionnaire, but BCB president Reggie Pearman said yesterday he was still hopeful that clubs would play a role in helping to restructure the local programme.

The feature recommendation on the questionnaire was the possible return to two-day cricket while other questions addressed matters such as defaulted games not being rescheduled and what should be done as regards allocation of points, the points structure regarding limited over games and what should be done about the results of abandoned games.

The questions were drawn up by a special panel chosen by the Board to investigate structural changes, headed by Board official Marc Weatherhill.

"I don't know what returns we have had but one thing's for certain, we cannot allow anything such as this to effect the start of the season which we still hope will be around the middle of April," said Pearman.

"The important thing is that we have to get cricket played and I am talking about with or without the changes. Whether it means starting with one or two days I can't say right now. But we will strive to start on time."

The president said it was vital to get the clubs involved in the process and hinted his disappointment at their lukewarm response.

But he indicated that if there was no improvement in questionnaire returns, the Board would likely have to call a special general meeting to discuss the matter or take it up during the BCB's annual general meeting which will be scheduled later this month.

"Any changes or amendments to the structure of cricket on the Island is definitely something that the clubs have to buy into it because we can't play cricket without their support.

"I realise the bad weather we have been having lately has prevented many from working on their grounds but we still have to find ways to work together in order to build on the structure that we have in place."

Agreeing with several of points stressed by the president, Weatherhill said it was only sensible to ask the clubs for their input into the changes.

But he noted while it remained to be seen how many would take advantage of the questionnaire, his committee would press forward and make their final proposals to the Board with whatever returns that were available.