Cricket
Kenya cricket now on it’s deathbed
Ireland national cricket team players wicketkeeper Nill O'brien,William Battlefield and Regan West celebrates Kenya batsman Jimmy Kamande clean bowled during the ICC Intercontinental four day match at Nairobi Gykhana. Photo/CHRIS OMOLLO
Posted Friday, October 17 2008 at 19:52
In Summary
- With no league and development programmes, the local game is dying
Then there is the matter of an ‘A’ team, a crucial feature in any cricket-playing country because it is a major link between the main national team and the development sides. Kenya has none.
The usual excuse of lack of funds is what CK offers for its inability to get its programmes moving.
However, the officials were elected to find money to run the game and to improve on the huge image that Kenya cricket had built in 2003. If the chairman and his team cannot find the money, they have no business running the association.
CK have done great in clearing Kenya’s image in the cricket circles internationally, but they have failed to uplift the morale of the players.
Residential training
Kenya’s cricket team could be the only one in the country that takes part in crucial games without going to residential camp. During the just-concluded game against Ireland, players were meeting in the ground in the morning from their respective homes.
One wonders when the coach and players plan for the next day’s game when the first thing on the players’ mind is how to reach home safely.
The players must be applauded for giving their all in very difficult circumstances. They have been let down by the Cricket Kenya board.
Inamdar and his team owes the players and Kenyans an explanation for the sorry state of Kenyan cricket.
If CK does not have money to take care of the players during international assignment there is no need of bringing matches in the country as results are likely to be negative. Even when they are able to get some teams
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Submitted by amiqueazPosted October 20, 2008 05:47 PM
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Submitted by Anonymous author
Also Kenya's cricket pool is very small - I mean very small, it's not a popular sport and worse it has to compete with football, rugby and other new sports like swimming - so Boitah and Mufzain are both right the game should be popularised and player pool expanded. 2nd modern teams use technology and psychology nowadays to defeat other teams, something I am not sure Kenya does.
Posted October 18, 2008 08:34 PM -
Submitted by boitah
i would say that the player are lucking morale.hardly no crowds shows up at the satdiums,am optimistic that the sports minister knows nothing abt the game,the game is no longer being introduced to schools. The reporters should play part in geting the game to its best rather than bringing it down.
Posted October 18, 2008 01:18 PM -
Submitted by Anonymous author
Saying that Kenya Cricket is on it's deathbead is a bit of an exaggeration and too dramatic. Kenya is in a rebuilding phase - the previous generation of cricketers are retiring and we now have a whole batch of youngsters that need time, as is always the case for any team, before they start producing. Except for 2 or 3 players, including Steve Tikolo, our team is made up of the next generation of young players. So please Mr Mwangi, encourage our youngsters instead of putting them down.
Posted October 18, 2008 06:22 AM -
Submitted by mufzain
i think cricket kenya should wake up its high time they start organizing first class leagues in the country and not only choose players from a certain pool instead look into other minor teams in the country aswell which have better and talented players..
Posted October 18, 2008 06:02 AM
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I completely agree with the Mr.Mwangi on this article.He has been associated( as a journalist) with cricket for a long ,long time and knows how good Kenya cricket was in the past.We have taken several steps backwards in the last few years and now teams like Ireland, Scotland, Canada, etc who we could very easily beat have started challening us and even beating us more often.Another point to note is that since Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo we haven't produced any match winning players who could carry the team on their shoulders.