Bermuda's Malachi Jones celebrates the dismissal of India's Robin Uthappa during their World Cup match in Port-of-Spain.

HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC):

FORMER ENGLAND player and coach David Lloyd believes Bermuda have found a 'budding star' in 17-year-old seamer Malachi Jones and everything should be done to ensure the youngster makes the most of his considerable potential.

Lloyd, who watched all three of debutant Bermuda's World Cup defeats from the commentary box at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, told the Royal Gazette he was absolutely in no doubt that with the right guidance Jones had the talent to one day be a 'top-class' quick bowler of genuine pace.

Lloyd urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bermuda Cricket Board to ensure they handle his development properly.

"Really impressed with that boy Jones," said Lloyd.

"He's got good pace for a 17-year-old and an excellent action. I'm surprised he didn't play against Bangladesh to be honest, but I saw enough in the one game he played against India to convince me that the boy's got a real future.

"He can only get better as far as I'm concerned. I know he went for almost 10 an over against India. Not bothered about that.

Lacked maturity

"For a young lad like him to be bowling against players like (Virender) Sehwag and (Saurav) Ganguly was always going to be a tough ask and he perhaps lacked a little bit of maturity after getting a wicket with his first ball and letting the emotion of the moment affect his performance.

"But having ploughed a lot of money into the development of the Associates, it's up to the ICC to recognise that we've got a budding star on our hands here and the sooner they or the Bermudians can get him across into a university centre of excellence in the United Kingdom or something like that the better because he's at a crucial stage of his development and he needs access to the best coaching and facilities.

"I'll be really interested to see how he develops because from my viewpoint in the commentary box, he is an exciting prospect."

Lloyd, a former opening batsman for Lancashire and England, was less complimentary about the rest of the Bermuda squad, saying the quality of their regular opposition simply had to improve.

"From a technical standpoint they've been absolutely miles away," he told the Gazette.

"What we're talking about here is essentially a collection of decent club cricketers who have been thrust into top-class international cricket and asked to sink or swim.

Bbowling limited

"The bowling as well has been a bit limited. Saleem Mukuddem bowled very well in the two games he played in and I can see that the big man, Sluggo (Dwayne Leverock), is a decent left-arm spinner.

"But if Bermuda are really going to improve, then they've got to start playing teams a level or two above them because you can only go so far playing against the other Associates all the time.

"What teams like Bermuda really need is a star, somebody who young players coming through can look up to and say, 'I want to be like him, I want to achieve what he is achieving in the game'.

"You only need one star really to get things going and young Malachi could be the person to take Bermuda cricket forward."

The Bermuda players were scheduled to arrive home last night.

- Reuters