ambitious five-year plan which Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president El James hopes will revitalise the beleaguered sport.

Although his current executive is only holding the reins for an interim period, James feels that by developing such a plan the new committee -- to be elected in February -- will have a foundation from which to work.

"We want to have a five-year plan ready for the affiliates early in the New Year -- a plan that will hopefully see our senior national team being developed to the level where Bermuda can qualify for the World Cup in the near future,'' says James.

"We realise that this can only come about by developing our youngsters and ensuring that they get involved in a prominent youth programme, something that unfortunately hasn't been there since the departure of the Youth league more than seven years ago.'' The president's enthusiasm is largely based on the return of Shell as a key sponsor of cricket -- a return that was initiated by James himself who, on the night he was elected president last July, made it clear that his immediate goal was to resurrect the Youth League.

James said it was important that local business sector who have previously supported cricket have faith in the sport.

"We have to attempt to provide a youth competition for all of our youngsters.

But we have to provide a better structure for the senior players as well,'' he adds.

However, James emphasised that cricket, like many other sports, needs a huge influx of cash if such ambitious plans are to take shape.

And he says he won't hesitate to make a public plea for financial assistance from the business and corporate sectors as well as the general public. He also wants to see further assistance from Government.

"There are a lot of needs that we have, no doubt about it. It's no secret that we are in need of funds from all sectors of the community, and unless we get a positive response in this area we will not be able to do anything.

"One big wish I have in the New Year is to see the business entities look at us more favourably and maybe contribute in some way to help us realise our dreams.'' Chief among James' goals is an upgrade of the domestic programme and the securing of both a national coach (along the lines of a Director of Coaching) and an office administrator. He also wants to improve the status of cricket in schools.

And he feels it is time for cricket to have its own grounds, with two first class batting strips and nets for training the various national teams, as well as an indoor facility with nets.

There have been no serious discussions yet about who might fill a coaching role, but, says James, the committee won't attempt to plug the hole quickly just for the sake of it.

"Ideally we want somebody with a full qualification who can take our current and potential coaches through the ranks, then to another level, and be recognised by the cricket authorities overseas.

"We are not looking for just an ex-player per se. We are not just looking for somebody who likes to go out and show people how to make a forward defensive shot -- he must be a highly qualified coach who is versatile, who is capable of giving speeches at public functions and who has the ability to let sponsors and the public know just what the programme he has set up is all about.'' James believes that by having the BCBC more closely acquainted with the schools programme, the eventual feed into the Board's junior and senior cricket programmes will increase substantially.

But he would also like to see the Board run cricket camps for youngsters where they could learn skills from experienced and easily recognised coaches. "It's all about building and developing players, but we just cannot stop there. We want to make parents aware that the sport of cricket can also be a vital character builder. We don't just want to concentrate on teaching cricket, we want to see sound foundations laid down for life.

"It's not just about being a good cricketer, but also about being a good citizen.

"With a camp and by going into the schools with a commitment then maybe some of these young men can be put on the right path and become more productive in our community. That's where this sport of cricket can play quite a significant role.'' In the few months they have been in charge, James and his committee believe they have made some positive moves -- one of which was restoring enthusiasm among the senior players whom, he noted, were encouraged about the way things went during the Red Stripe tour to Jamaica.

"We certainly saw positive signs then -- positive in the sense that they went down to Jamaica and really applied themselves. And this helped them to have an incident-free tour,'' explained James.

"But apart from that they had a good time, they were very relaxed throughout the trip, discipline was no problem at all and they were comfortable with each other at all times.

"Maybe the improved atmosphere helped the squad to produce one of their best performances we have had in a long time.''