I’m back and I want to play for Kenya again

His masterful execution of the reverse sweep once sent the crowds at the Nairobi Gymkhana into a delirium. He was a joy to watch whenever he strolled onto the crease to launch his memorable innings and, as a bowler, his leg breaks made many a batsman shudder.

But when he was caught out, charged and handed a five-year ban for match-fixing and inappropriate contacts with bookmakers, Maurice Odumbe lived a life of solitude.

He was shunned by fans and friends alike and, as if in solidarity, Kenyan cricket lost its lustre, the game falling from the dizzy heights that saw the country play in the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2003.

But, as they say, life begins at 40 and Odumbe is confident he can thrown in a final cameo before kissing the game farewell.

The colourful star’s five-year ban runs out next month and he is confident he will wear the Kenyan colours once again and light up the gallery.

Odumbe has been hard at training and is itching to prove a point to his critics. “My body feels good and I am positive it will not let me down,” Odumbe told the Saturday Nation yesterday. “I want to play a few more games for my country and should be part of the side as early as August.

“It pains me very much to see Kenya being beaten by teams like Ireland and Scotland which were nowhere near us. We should be playing Test cricket right now.”

At 40, Odumbe feels that age is nothing but a number and said that he will not return to the side as a ‘ball boy’ but will fight for a place on equal terms with the rest of the squad.

Odumbe had an illustrious career spanning 15 years before his ban.

An ICC inquiry headed by retired judge Ahmed Ebrahim found Odumbe guilty of inappropriate contact with a known bookmaker. Before the ban, his one day international debut was in India on February 18, 1996, where Kenya lost to their hosts by seven wickets.

He contributed 26 runs. He played his last ODI at Sharjah against Pakistan where he knocked half a century (54) which came off 65 deliveries with six fours. Kenya lost by 143 runs.

Most needed exposure
Before his ban, Odumbe had played 61 ODIs, scoring 1,409 runs with a high of 83. He bowled 2,237 balls taking 39 wickets with a best of 4-38.

Odumbe says Kenya has many good friends out there who have been wondering what went wrong with the country’s cricket. “We used to get visiting teams from India with national players touring. South African provincial sides and England A also used to tour the country but now, they cannot come because they fear that we will not be able to offer them good competition as we used to do.

“India has always been very good to us and tours should be organised for our boys to visit them to gain the most needed exposure,” argued Odumbe.

“Steve Tikolo, my late brother (Martin Oriwa) and myself got a chance to play as professionals when England A visited Kenya in the 1991/92 season.

“Their coach was impressed by our performance and gave us an opportunity to play in England.”

Spread the game
Odumbe said that the talent is still there in the country and it was for all the stake holders to come together and work as a team for Kenya to regain her lost glory.

“The other day while I was in Kisumu, I saw some young boys playing the game and had to a alight from a ‘boda boda’ taxi to watch them. CK should spread the game to other provinces in the country.”

Odumbe said that it worried him to contemplate that Uganda, which did not have a single cricket ground 10 years ago, could overtake Kenya if nothing is done to halt the decline in the standard of the game in junior ranks in the country.

“I am shocked when I hear that some teams are unable to raise a side for the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association league match while in our days, one would wish to be a 12th man as long as he was part of the squad.”

His wish is to revive his stalled career at his former club, Aga Khan Sports Club.

“Aga Khan Sports Club, as the whole of the Ismailia community were very supportive to me. They made me what I am.”

The flamboyant Odumbe’s many accolades included man-of-the match awards in all the three International Cricket Council World Cups in which he played in 1996, 1999 and 2003. The former captain feels that given chance, he still has a lot to offer to the game he loves most.