Promising Somerset spinner Marcus Johnson was "rushed" into accepting a cricket scholarship to attend the University of Trinidad and Tobago's Academy of Sport and Leisure High Performance Unit, the young cricketer's mother has claimed.

Brenda Johnson said her 17-year-old son had reservations about going to Trinidad, was never informed that he would have to begin studies in the Caribbean on such short notice and never signed a contract with Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) obligating him to fulfill the four-year commitment.

Johnson was due to arrive home last night exactly a week after beginning what his mother yesterday described as an "unfortunate ordeal" – an ordeal she feels could have been avoided had the BCB not conducted business in a hasty fashion.

"Marcus had not made up his mind before going to Trinidad and is so upset about the whole matter he has contemplated quitting cricket altogether," Johnson's mother told The Royal Gazette.

"This whole thing was pushed on him (Marcus) too fast and he was not mentally prepared for it.

"Everything went so fast and had we had proper time to digest all of this my son would have never gone in the first place.

"Everything was rushed and they (BCB) did not tell me from the get go that he (Marcus) had to go this year.

"My son was first informed (October 3) about all of this and eventually they (BCB) contacted my husband (Mitchell) and I.

"At first I was against it but my son, thinking he could enroll in the academy next year, wanted to do it and nobody from the Board said anything different.

"Gus Logie (national coach) called me (October 12) and said things are moving fast, but he never said anything about Marcus having to go this year.

My son was off the Island at the time looking at other college options and thought he had ample time to think about going to Trinidad next year. He thought he had time to think about this for next year.

"My husband and I met with Gus Logie (October 17) at his house and that is when he gave me the acceptance form from the university (of Trinidad and Tobago).

"That's when he (Logie) told me that my son was going to attend the academy for four years and told me they (academy directors Tony Gray and Larry Gomes) wanted him down there by October 23.

"Marcus returned home October 19 and that's when his father and I dropped this big bomb that he had to be in Trinidad by October 23."

The Board announced Johnson was to begin studies in Trinidad during an October 20 press conference held two days before the young cricketer departed for the Caribbean.

It was during the press conference when Johnson's parents were given full details about the academy and presented with a draft of a proposed contract with the Board – despite her son having not made a formal decision whether or not to take up the offer.

"We never signed anything with the BCB and they have only told the public what they want them to know," she said.

"They (BCB) brought a draft to the press conference which Neil (BCB chief executive Neil Speight) told us to take home and read and then come back and sign the original draft."

Johnson's mother denied that her son had succumbed to a bout with homesickness and aborted studies at an academy that has spawned the likes of West Indies allrounders Keiron Pollard and Rayad Emrit over the years.

"Marcus was not homesick, however, the powers that be are trying to make it seem as though he didn't give it a try," she argued.

"This whole thing was not for him at this present time and was not something he wanted to embark on.

"This whole matter was not done professionally, everything was just raced through and when Marcus arrived in Trinidad things just went downhill from there."

Local cricket's governing body declined to comment on the matter yesterday.