HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – National coach Clay Smith has solved a wicketkeeping crisis by calling up 46-year-old Dean Minors to play for Bermuda in an ICC tournament starting later this month in Los Angeles.
It is the second time Minors has come out of international retirement since hanging up his gloves after the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean where Bermuda, one of six qualifiers, lost all three of their group matches against India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Minors, who also came out of retirement for an ICC Americas Tournament in Florida in 2011, helped Tuff Dogs win the Evening Cricket League’s (ECL) Premier Division league and cup Twenty20 double in the just-concluded season here.
The ECL is a far cry from the international stage but Smith is confident his close friend Minors will not disgrace himself in Los Angeles, where Bermuda will face the United States, Denmark, Oman and Italy in the ICC World Cricket League Division tournament, which runs from October 29 to November 5.
Smith turned to Minors, a useful lower-order batsman, after six other wicketkeepers – Temiko Wilson, Sinclair Smith, Christian Burgess, Chris Foggo, Jekon Edness and Regino Smith – all cried off for various reasons.
“We told Dean he was one of our last options,” Smith told the Royal Gazette newspaper.
“Dean accepted right away. He takes good care of himself, so I’m confident he can come in and do a respectable job.
“I have no doubt he can still do a job for us behind the stumps.
“I know I will probably take some flak, but I have to do what I think is in the best interests of the team. I don’t want to go and play against quality opposition with just anybody behind the stumps because it is too critical a position.”
Bermuda will be led by new captain Oliver Pitcher, 33, who has returned to training following a knee injury.
