Leverock takes time out from Bermuda

Lawrence Trott

Published Jun 2, 2018 at 8:00 am (Updated Jun 1, 2018 at 11:01 pm)

[embedded content]
Leverock interview
Full focus: Kamau Leverock, right (File photograph)

Kamau Leverock has said he will not be available for Bermuda for the time being, with the all-rounder deciding to focus his energy on playing for Nottinghamshire Second XI.

Leverock also told islandstats.com about his outburst during training before Bermuda’s first match at the ICC World Cricket League Division Four tournament in Malaysia.

He was subsequently left out of the first two matches against Denmark and Uganda, on April 29 and 30, with Bermuda losing both.

Now Leverock says that he will be taking a break from representing his country.

“I’m going to focus on playing for the Notts second team and that’s about it,” he said. “I’ve thought about it long and hard and I’ve decided not to make myself available for any Bermuda cricket tours, just focus on what I need to do in the UK. There is a possibility that I may come back this summer, to play Cup Match maybe, but I haven’t decided yet.

“As of now I think I’m going to take a break from playing for Bermuda and focus on myself because these tours seem to be more detrimental to my personal goals than helpful.”

Leverock explained his side of the story on the incident in the nets, which led to his two-match ban.

“It was just a bit of misunderstanding between me and a few players where I was bowling in training and bowling quite a bit of no-balls,” he said. “I don’t have any issues with no-balls in games and I explained to them that they didn’t need to comment on it at the time because I was trying to work on something. Having to prepare in such a short time, I got a little bit heated and lost my temper a bit.”

Bermuda managed to win their third game against Jersey with Leverock back in the team. He scored 66 out of Bermuda’s total of 242, helped them win by 58 runs and was named man of the match. However, after five group matches Bermuda were relegated to Division Five, the bottom division, only 11 years after playing in the World Cup.

Leverock, who survived being sent home from tour because ICC rulings would not allow a replacement player if the situation is not injury-related, argued that players need more support in such cases.

“We don’t have a players’ union, so players are not able to defend themselves when things happen on tour,” he said. “I was not able to defend myself, just handed a two-match ban without even being able to speak to the coaches.

“I don’t even think the coaches knew what was going on. The protocol for when things go wrong is not really there and it needs to be put in place.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)