OJ Pitcher?s World Cup plans were put on hold yesterday after the talented all-rounder was omitted from Bermuda?s ICC Associates World Cricket League squad that departs for Kenya tonight.

Pitcher, currently nursing a groin strain, failed a fitness test on Monday and was promptly replaced by Kwame Tucker who will now accompany the squad to Kenya instead.

Yesterday coach Gus Logie admitted that Pitcher?s all-round services would be missed.

?Unfortunately this is not a perfect world, and so we have to make allowances for things like this to occur.

?We had plans for OJ, but unfortunately he didn?t come through and so he will be out of the team,? Logie told . ?But this is now an opportunity for Kwame (Tucker) to reclaim his spot.?

Pitcher?s injury could not have come at a worse time as the World Cricket League presents the Island?s top cricketers with one last opportunity to prove they are worthy of a World Cup spot.

National team selectors are expected to announce the final World Cup squad shortly upon their return from Africa early next month. And it is now hoped that Pitcher will be fit for selection by that time.

?I think it?s now in his best interest to get sorted out in the next few weeks so that he can be fit again to be considered for selection,? Logie added.

?From what we saw of him in Trinidad, we are quite happy. So at the end of the day it is his injury which has kept him out and nothing else.?

Bermuda are also scheduled to compete in a triangular ODI tournament against World Cup Group B rivals Bangladesh and Associate rivals Canada in Antigua in late February.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced yesterday that the start of the World Cricket League had been brought forward 24 hours. This in turn has prompted Bermuda to bring their practice match against Uganda ? originally scheduled for Sunday in Nairobi ? forward to Saturday, Logie said.

?We just have one day less to rest and so we?ll just have to make sure we do all we can now in terms of travelling so that when we arrive we can hit the ground running,? the former West Indies player and coach added.

Bermuda?s team arrive in Kenya tomorrow night and are scheduled to have a practice session on Friday ahead of Saturday?s warm-up match with Uganda at a venue yet to be finalised.

The Island take on host country Kenya in their opening World Cricket League round robin match next Monday.

Logie said he remained confident team objectives would be met.

?I feel confident and I hope this confidence will spread over to the players because that is where it is most important. The players need to be confident in their own ability and game so that whenever they go out in the middle they can execute,? said Logie, who also encouraged his troops to believe more in themselves and in each other.

?Right now it?s all about belief because all of the hard work has been done,? he continued. ?We?ve had experts come in and talk to certain individuals and work with them on many aspects of the game.

?We now have to store all of this information in our brains and when the time comes make sure we can recall it and then execute.?

Logie also urged his players to strive towards bigger goals.

?I think we are experienced now to the point where we have to start going into tournaments thinking we can win them and not just standing up hoping to do well,? he said.

?We have played against some of these teams before and so there?s no reason why we can?t win this tournament. We just have to go in there with the attitude that we can win and make sure that our planning and thought processes are spot on.

?And I believe we have completed the preparations such as other teams have done, and so there?s no reason why we can?t be successful like other teams. We have to win a few games and get used to the idea of winning.

?We have to start telling ourselves ?we deserve to be where we are? because we?ve worked hard to be where we are, and have to take the benefits that go with that and capitalise on them.

?We do have some experienced players on the team , and so those players will certainly have to step up and take the responsibility and guide the younger ones.?

As for the team?s mental strength, Logie said: ? We have worked on that a lot during our training sessions. We?ve tried to push the guys to go the extra mile and come from out of their comfort zone.

?And we have players prepared to do that, but we still have some others yet to grasp the point. But I feel pretty good and at this point in time it?s all systems go.?