Top batsman Glenn Blakeney yesterday defended his decision not to represent a Bermuda Cricket Board Select against the visiting Barbados national team over the weekend.

Blakeney had been, in his own words, unknowingly chosen to lead the local Select during Saturday's opening match of the tour but later withdrew his services to be by the side of his pregnant wife who is experiencing some difficulties.

And he insisted “family certainly comes before cricket.”

“My decision not to play shouldn't have even been an issue,” he said yesterday. “I am a family man and they come first. I didn't think that it would become a big issue because I had called Clay (Smith) early that morning (Saturday) to tell him that I wouldn't be available, not knowing that I had been chosen as captain.”

Blakeney said he was unaware that he had been chosen because he did not attend Friday's pre-tour meeting due to his wife's condition.

“My wife is pregnant and she has a medical condition which is making her pregnancy more difficult and I have to be there,” he explained. “And it is not an issue when it comes to choosing between the well-being of my family and a cricket match.”

In addition to Blakeney, for one reason or another, there were a number of other top local players who failed to show up over the weekend. This prompted criticism from many in the local cricket fraternity who were angered that Bermuda's best team wasn't available to take on the visiting Bajans.

“It is a good thing that Somerset have brought these guys in to provide us with some exposure, but in my case, I don't really think that it is an issue,” said Blakeney.

However, the St. David's batsman said he hoped still to play against the visitors either today or tomorrow in one of the final two games should his wife's condition improve.

Meanwhile, he took issue with one fan's claim that local players were “afraid of fast bowling”.

“I have already faced the likes of Nixon McLean, Dominic Cork - when he came here - Devon Malcolm and Patrick Patterson and they have all felt the brunt of my blade,” he said.

“I think that people are just a bit upset and they just want something to talk about. I just can't believe that people are questioning others' commitments, whether they may be work commitments or personal commitments. People should learn to respect that,” he added.

“I am even surprised that people are questioning Janeiro (Tucker). He is out there working 24 hours a day trying to get people's telephones back on. And some of these people who are complaining about him not showing up are probably the same ones who are complaining because their telephones aren't working.

So it's like a no-win situation. Imagine if something would have happened to my wife and I wasn't there to be with her.”

Yesterday, national coach Mark Harper confirmed that Blakeney was absent during Friday's meeting at BCB headquarters.

“Glenn did call to say that he couldn't make the meeting,” he said.