Bermuda To Host ICC T20 Cricket Tournament
[Written by Patrick Bean]
After missing out on reaching the recent finals of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia — won by England — the Bermuda Cricket Board is going all out in its attempt to have Bermuda qualify for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in the United States and West Indies.
The Island has already achieved one victory in the BCB achieving success in winning the bidding process for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Regional Final relative to the Americas Region, which will offer home-field advantage throughout the tournament, slated for next year — September 28 to October 8.
“As we prepare for another busy cricket season in the new year, the BCB is pleased to announce that Bermuda has been selected as the host to deliver the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Regional Final,” BCB president Arnold Manders revealed at a Wednesday press conference, fittingly held on the North Field pitch at Flora Duffy Stadium.
“We are looking forward to once again hosting one of the biggest international sporting events on island in 2023, securing the final position in the Americas Region on home soil, and then heading to the 2024 T20 World Cup.”
BCB High-Performance Chairman Allan Douglas noted how preparations were already underway in terms of team activity, as the administration seeks to provide the best opportunity to progress beyond qualifying, which he said would said a collective effort of all affiliates and stakeholders.
“One, we have Kenny Thompson working with the guys to raise the level of fitness,” said Douglas. “They must recognise that we’re not goin to be here anymore and we can compete with everybody in the world with fitness, that’s something easy we can do.
“So we have a fitness trainer working on that and they’ve got all different types of tests, the stress test, the yo-yo test and all these types of tests these days, so that’s in place.
“But on top of that we have, not only our league structure, but I know the BCB is putting in place something like a BPL — Bermuda Premier League — where it’s T20 cricket that involves making four teams out of the top players in Bermuda, using a bidding process, which will definitely help.
“We also have the training of coaches. Arnold and I did a course recently training the coaches, so we’ve got that in place.
“We will also rely on the clubs a lot and that’s where, as a cricket board we have to inject a lot of our knowledge and go inside the clubs to help in the preparation of the wickets, as well as help in their administration. Because, it’s partnerships that are going to get us to where we want to get.”
However, the BCB has more than just the T20 upon its plate, with the country also involved in the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League, that forms part of the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualification process, demanding a shared focus on T20 and one-day cricket.
“We have T20 coming up, but we also have the 50 overs World Cup Challenge League, so we have to prepare or both,” explained Manders. “T20 will offer us lot more, but we also still have a lot to do with the 50 overs World Cup Challenge League, so it’s going to be a mix of both and, hopefully, with the team training and the things that we have planned, coming up January 1st and August 2nd.”
“I think that if the players put everything into it we have an excellent chance of qualifying for the T20 as well.”
“Cricket, as you know, is one of our national sports,” said Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport Owen Darrell. “It’s something that all of our young men grow up playing, whether it be backyard, attending Cup Match or, my favourite, County Games.
“It’s definitely an important part of the fabric of Bermuda’s culture and sporting community. So the fact that I’m here and what has not been mentioned are the gentlemen that are running this facility, Mr Pace and Mr Tyrell, will ensure that it is ready, not only that we can showcase for the ICC that come here, but also the talent that we have in Bermuda and the culture and fans that we have that support cricket.”
