Logie relieved that the cricket can finally begin

Bermuda's 15-man squad have left for their five-week tour of Kenya with the long-winded contract negotiations finally behind them. After a three-day Intercontinental Cup match on November 5 there are three one-dayers at Mombassa.

The Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) and the players agreed contractual terms on Monday following a seven-hour meeting, led by the lawyer Wendell Hollis. In addition to securing salary deals, the players involved for next year's World Cup are also expected to net $20,000 in match fees and bonuses - a deal which makes the Bermudans the highest earners of any associate country.

"Getting the contracts sorted out was a big relief to me, the players and everybody else concerned," Gus Logie, the Bermuda coach told The Royal Gazette. "The negotiations went on for much longer than I would have liked but I guess that is part and parcel of the modern game. I personally do not know the extent of their remuneration, but whatever it is they will be expected to perform and to prepare themselves for the challenges ahead in a thoroughly professional manner.

"They will be scrutinised even more, particularly in terms of their fitness levels and I trust they understand what the stakes now are and that they are going to be properly prepared for what lies ahead."

Logie admitted that the contract negotiations have been an unwelcome distraction, but he has been delighted with the influence of the Glamorgan batsman David Hemp.

"Having Hemp here has been a big plus," he said. "The players have been able to watch and appreciate how, as a professional, he prepares and his dedication to getting the best out of himself. "In an ideal world I think our preparation would have benefited from a few practice matches, but with no pitches available that has not been possible. But we have done the best we could given the conditions.

"There has been lots of conditioning work, nets practice and a big emphasis on mental preparation and tactics so once we get to Kenya we really should be able to hit the ground running."

Bermuda's first game in Kenya is on Sunday, when they take on the hosts in an Intercontinental Cup game in Nairobi.