Sir Gary Sobers has been trying for many years to get Bermuda to send a team to his annual schoolboys cricket tournament in Barbados.

Today he will meet again with officials from the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control to discuss that same issue.

Sobers, a special consultant for the Barbados Tourism Authority, is in Bermuda again to promote Barbados as a tourist destination amongst Bermudians.

Several years ago the man who is widely considered to be the greatest all-rounder of all time, launched the Sir Gary Sobers International Schoolboys competition which this year involved 20 teams, 16 from overseas.

"We've been trying for many years to get Bermuda to bring a team to Barbados to participate in this competition,'' said Sobers, who pointed out that West Indies captain Brian Lara himself played in the competition which began 12 years ago.

"Unfortunately we haven't been able to break the ice yet, but we are hoping we will do it this time. The tournament is growing and is a very important tournament and I think it is important to Bermuda's cricket, seeing that Bermuda is taking part in the Red Stripe and may one day take part in the President's Cup.

"I think the youth of Bermuda are very important to the development of cricket here and I certainly hope they will see fit to bring a team to the Sir Gary Sobers International Schoolboys competition next year.'' Sobers feels the tournament, which involves teams from South Africa, England, Canada, Scotland, Wales and other Caribbean Islands, would be even more important to the development of Bermuda's youngsters than the International Youth Tournament which Bermuda has preferred to enter. That tournament was also held in July so the dates often clashed.

Sobers also feels that Bermuda should not only do away with open cricket -- a sentiment felt widely here -- but also try to play four-day cricket over two weekends so as to develope the younger players into potential Test cricketers.

"They should try to play more of that because -- who knows -- one day their players may be good enough (to play for West Indies),'' said Sobers. "From one-day cricket they are not going to get much opportunity to play at Test level.'' The former all-rounder also supports picking two different teams for Test and one-day games.

"It's already happening in West Indies cricket,'' he says. "Somewhere in the 1980s when they had the World Series cricket which started the one-day series I think I advocated it then that I believe there should be two teams.

"There should be players who play at one-day level and players who play at Test and four-day level, because it's very difficult to take youngsters who have just started to play the game and don't have the experience and throw them into one-day cricket.

"This helps to destroy their cricket because they aren't allowed to build their cricket like in Test or four-day matches.

"Therefore, they don't have the foundation for when they go into four-day or five-day cricket to rely on. I have always figured the more experienced players should play one-day cricket.'' Added Sobers: "The West Indies have already started that, as you've seen.

They have picked teams for Bangladesh, the A team for India and the team for South Africa, which is the number one team, and they have changed them quite a lot by bringing in different kinds of players.'' Sobers, a regular visitor to Bermuda since 1955, feels a bit of emptiness on this latest trip as he does not have long time friend Charlie Daulphin around to speak to. Daulphin passed away earlier this year.

"Bermuda is one of my favourite places and Charlie Daulphin was one of my greatest friends,'' said Sobers.

"He was a great friend to Barbados and he is certainly going to be missed by the people not only in Barbados but also in Bermuda.''