Increased international competition for Bermuda's senior and age-group cricket teams is being recommended for next year.

National cricket coach Mark Harper says a rise in the number and level of matches played by the Island's cricketers - at all ages - is imperative to improve the game's standard here.

At junior level, one initiative under consideration is having Bermuda play in next year's West Indies Under-15 and Under-19 tournaments - though the Bermudian players would be over-aged in both events.

"Nothing has been confirmed but, in preliminary talks, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said they would accommodate us sending an Under-17 team for their Under-15 tournament and an Under-21 team for their Under-19 tournament," said Harper.

"The thinking is that since, as a developing nation (in cricket), we might not be as competitive if we send players the correct ages, they would allow us to do this."

"That would be a big plus because that would obviously give us the level of competition we need to lift our standard, not forgetting that we won the Americas Under-15 knockout tournament this year," he explained, adding that another fillip would be that the successful unit that won the Americas tournament would be able to play together longer.

As for the senior national team, Harper said international exposure could come via a tour to the Caribbean or bringing in a team. However, that was yet to be decided.

"We have international teams inquiring about touring Bermuda. We have to decide how we can use those teams as part of our preparation . . . and it must be a side we're competitive against."

The biggest obstacle, he pointed out, in the senior team's development was the fact that their programme had not been constant but rather in keeping with international commitments.

"Obviously the programme with the national team needs to be ongoing. We just can't build up for a tournament.

"We need to get a quality squad of 20 players and build a national team so that whatever tournament we're participating in we don't have to rush and grab people," said Harper, noting that the increase in the domestic games this year - with two extra competitions - left no time for the national team to organise any international fixtures.

However, with both the senior team (in Los Angeles in September) and the Under-19s (in Singapore in July) due to compete in World Cup qualifiers next year, he is keen to see this change.

In the meantime, he will be aiming to create "more opportunities for young players to participate in the game" locally and to make junior programmes more vibrant.

"I would like to see the youth programme much better organised. Right now we have the schools' programme but that's around exam time and - due to the time constraints - all the fixtures are not being played.

"I would like to see a lot more coaching being done in schools. I did a couple sessions at six or seven schools this year but I would like to cover as many of the public schools as possible and it would also be nice to have teachers conducting the coaching and introducing students to the rudiments of the game."

Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Education in this regard.

An improved Parish League tournament would also go a long way towards boosting cricket among Bermuda's junior ranks, he added. An optimistic Harper is looking forward to all clubs participating fully in this event, fielding teams in all three age categories: Under-13, Under-15 and Under-19.