Bermuda's preparations for this summer's all-important ICC Trophy are finally beginning to crystallise.

The Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday named a 19-member touring party, including 17 players, for their ten-day training camp in Trinidad next month.

In the same breath, cricket's national governing body announced that former West Indies player and coach Gus Logie has signed a six-month contract as national coach, effective April 1.

The 44-year-old will meet his new charges when they arrive in his homeland on April 5 and will oversee and direct their training programme before returning with the Bermudians to the Island on April 15 to continue his work.

“We are pleased to have somebody of Gus's calibre joining the Board for the summer. The short list of candidates for the position was very strong and we had some good options, but the Board elected for Gus based on his wealth of experience both as a successful player and coach,” said BCB president Reggie Pearman.

“As many people will remember Gus visited Bermuda last year when he brought the West Indies team for a training camp before the ICC Champions Trophy in England; a tournament his team went on to win in dramatic style. Gus also has World Cup experience as a coach having led Canada in their efforts in the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.”

Also citing Logie's “outstanding Test and One-Day International record”, the BCB chief added the new coach willl bring invaluable knowledge and that the Board were impressed by Logie's accent on youth.

While his focus will be spearheading Bermuda's efforts to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 - the top five in the ICC Trophy advance - Logie's mandate also covers domestic and youth cricket development. This will include shepherding the Island's Under-19 team through regional qualifiers for the age-group World Cup scheduled for Sri Lanka next year.

Meanwhile, Bermuda's touring squad are expected to play four games in Trinidad - two against the national team and the others against combined sides. Though certain players, such as Albert Steede, Saleem Mukuddem and Jermaine Postlethwaite, are unavailable for the trip, chairman of selectors Arnold Manders cautioned this is not an insight into who will be chosen for Ireland.

“I want to make sure the public and the squad realise there is no special significance regarding selection of the 17 players. As it stands now, every player in the training squad has a realistic chance of making the final 14 that will compete in Ireland whether or not they attend this camp.

“For example, you may note that Charlie Marshall will not be going to Trinidad. The selectors felt that they have a good sense of what Charlie, as an experienced campaigner, can bring to the team and his exclusion allows the selectors to have a closer look at other players on the team.”

Skipper Clay Smith noted the tour is a great chance for some players who have had “very little international exposure”.

“It's a matter of getting them some games, looking at them and analysing their capabilities of playing at a higher level,” said the captain.

“We should get a better reading of how they can produce and once we head back to Bermuda we will have a few inter-squad practice games before we pick our final squad. So Trinidad is not the be-all and end-all of things. Players will still have a chance to come back and prove themselves.”

He praised the choice of Trinidad for the camp, stating that training will not be hindered if it rains given the superb indoor facility at Queen's Park Oval.