Updated: Sep 18, 2024 10:45 AM

Catching up with Bermuda: Americas Select players celebrate a wicket against Bermuda (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

Bermuda Cricket Board executive director Cal Blankendal believes the recent Americas Select tour tour to the island has given the island’s players a chance to see how much cricket has grown in the region.

Comprising players from Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Falkland Islands and the United States, the visitors won the two-match T20 series against Bermuda before fixtures against Cup Match sides St George’s and Somerset were rained off at the weekend.

“It was a pleasure being able to host the ICC Americas Select team,’’ Blankendal said.

“They provided the Bermuda team with an opportunity to kick-start their preparations for the ICC Americas qualifier, that is coming up in Argentina.

“The ICC Americas members provided the funding for airfares and accommodation for their players to come to Bermuda, so that made the tour feasible.

Bermuda Cricket Board to decide on Mahesh Hatkar’s future involvement with the national team (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

“They also provided some up-and-coming talent in the region. It shows that even though Bermuda is still considered a powerhouse in the Americas, we can see that players outside the US and Canada, in countries like Argentina, Brazil and Falkland Islands are improving their cricket.

“We have to keep that in the back of our mind that we can’t rest on our laurels and just focus on Canada and the US. Cricket is growing in the rest of the region and ten years from now, where will they be and where will Bermuda be?”

“It was also good for some of our younger players to challenge themselves against their counterparts. Jarryd Richardson and Marcus Scotland, as the future of cricket in Bermuda, also got a chance to see who they will be competing against in years to come.”

While two of the four planned matches went ahead, the harsh weather conditions kept the fans away, which cost the BCB potential revenue from ticket sales.

“As a result of the weather and the matches being called off, we didn’t get the revenue we expected,’’ he said.

“It did hurt us financially but then again we were able to absorb the financial deficiency to a certain extent.

“It was still a more affordable training situation than travelling overseas, where the cost is higher. Also having access to the players, they didn’t have to leave their jobs and travel, it was a win-win situation for everyone.”

Phillip Stroud from Falkland Islands, the oldest member of the Americas Select squad, enjoyed his time in Bermuda. The St Helena-born 32-year-old was the last player to leave the island on Tuesday.

“I got to learn different techniques from playing with people from different countries,’’ Stroud said.

“I enjoyed the second match because that is when I got a chance to bat. It was nice to work with the coach from India and it’s been a while since I had a coach.”

The Americas Select tour was not originally on the BCB fixtures list when the calendar was released before the season started with the dates initially reserved for the Bermuda Premier League, which was first held last year.

“It was always the decision to have the BPL,’’ Blankendal said.

“We wanted to bring in the United States, Canada and potentially Italy but they notified us that they would not be able to participate. We knew it was going to be difficult to get teams to come down and that’s when we came up with the concept of the Americas Select.

“We’re looking forward to making the BPL happen next year, with the view to making it similar to what we did in 2023.

“It’s going to be a challenge based on the international calendar, but we feel comfortable that next year we can at least get two associate member teams here to play.”

The BCB will soon evaluate the work done by Mahesh Hatkar, an Indian coach brought to the island through funding from the Department of Sport and Recreation.

Hatkar, the coach at Param Veer Cricket Academy in Sanjay Farm, previously worked with Bermuda’s senior players when they toured India at the beginning of the year.

During his time on the island, the 60-year-old, who leaves on Friday, conducted sessions with the Bermuda Under-19 squad, coached at different clubs, and also took charge of the Americas Select XI.

“The high-performance committee will advise the president of the BCB and myself what they deem the best way forward,’’ Blankendal added.

“Based on their recommendations we’ll see if it leads to any future collaboration. I’m quite sure he’s built relationships with players and coaches, so he’ll most likely return at some point.

“It’s all based on availability, financing and a recommendation from the high-performance committee.”