Local cricket has been left in "no man’s land" following a week of administrative chaos, contradictory coaching announcements, and mounting concerns over player morale.
Former national captain and current Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club President Stephen Outerbridge has broken his silence on the situation, describing the latest upheaval at the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) as a "horrible situation" that has left the sport's future hanging in the balance.
The controversy ignited when BCB President Lloyd Smith announced a new four-man coaching panel to lead the senior men’s national team—only for legendary all-rounder Janeiro Tucker to vehemently deny any involvement less than 24 hours later.
Speaking on the administrative fallout, Outerbridge expressed deep frustration with the lack of transparency at the executive level.
"This is not a surprise; it's just an unfortunate situation when it comes to cricket," Outerbridge said. "At some point, when things go wrong at the Cricket Board—especially this—nobody takes the blame. It’s like, let's just continue with the business at hand, and nobody takes accountability for it".
The BCB’s coaching strategy was further dismantled when Tucker expressed anger that his business associate, Mahesh Hatkar, was also named as part of the setup without a formal contract. The disconnect has reportedly severely impacted player morale, with several senior members of the 25-man training squad now considering withdrawing from the national program.
Outerbridge, who previously served on the high-performance committee, highlighted a significant shift in the Board's philosophy that he believes has led to the current disarray.
"About a year ago, when we started to put things in place, the team looked like they were building for success or to be competitive," Outerbridge reflected. "Then all of a sudden, you come and say everything’s got to go to one person. That one person, I hope, has to take accountability for all of this".
The timing of the crisis could not be worse for Bermuda. The national team is scheduled to compete in the North American Cup in the Cayman Islands this April, followed by the high-stakes ICC T20 World Cup Americas Sub-Regional Qualifier on home soil in June.
Despite the mounting pressure, the BCB executive has remained largely silent. Reports indicate that both President Lloyd Smith and CEO Calvin Blankendal have failed to respond to repeated inquiries regarding the coaching panel's status and the lack of player morale.
"You're not going to get them to comment on it because it makes them look weak," Outerbridge added. "But at the end of the day, people just want somebody to be accountable, and it's just not going to happen".
Historically, the BCB is a representation of its member clubs, who hold the power to call a Special General Meeting (SGM) or a vote of no confidence. With the international calendar looming and the national program in a state of flux, the fraternity is now waiting to see if the clubs will finally demand answers for the future of the game.
www.islandsats.com has once again reached out to the President of the Cricket Board and at the time of this posting we have not heard back from the President.
