Cricket
Kenya launch Twenty20 bid in UAE
Kenya cricket team’s pace bowler Tony Suji (centre) appeals successfully for a leg-before-wicket against Scotland batsman Ryan Watson during their Twenty20 triangular match at the Nairobi Gymkhana a week ago. Photo/CHRIS OMOLLO
Posted Monday, February 8 2010 at 20:00
Kenya open their campaign to qualify for the Twenty20 World Cup that will be held in the Caribbean in April when they meet hosts United Arab Emirates in their opening match of the qualifying tournament at the Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Eight teams will be fighting out for two slots reserved for non Test playing countries.
Kenya is placed in pool B which also has the Netherlands and Canada. Pool ‘A’ are Ireland, Scotland, Afghanistan and USA.
Kenya played well in all the departments of the game against Scotland and Uganda during the just ended triangular series in Nairobi and there are high hopes for them to qualify for the World Cup in the abridged version of the game if they maintain form and fighting spirit.
Former national team captain, Steve Tikolo, paired well with David Obuya as opening batsmen during the Twenty20 triangular series which Kenya won.
The other batsmen in the side include skipper Morris Ouma, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, Jimmy Kamande, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Nelson ‘Mandela’ Odhiambo and Rakep Patel. Ouma and David Obuya are also wicketkeepers.
In the absence of Peter Ong’ondo, who was dropped for failing fitness test and Thomas Odoyo, who is nursing an injury in Zimbabwe where he is taking part in the domestic league, Odhiambo becomes the key medium pace bowler in the side.
He will be supported by Odhiambo, a promising medium pacer in the side, Elijah Otieno, Lameck Onyango and Tony Suji. Tikolo, Kamande and the recently capped Shem Obado are the off-break bowlers while Hiren Varaiya is the left arm spinner.
Even though Kenya qualified for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in Nairobi about three years ago, their efforts to make it for last year’s tournament in London were thwarted by a poor performance during the team’s tour of Europe in August 2008.
Cricket Kenya was infuriated by the unsatisfactory results which made them initiate a probe committee made up of prominent cricket personalities with a promise to make public the committee’s findings and their recommendations. However, that was not to be.
Although the committee handed in their report CK remained mum.
They only declined to renew the contract of the South African coach, Andy Kirsten, who had taken the team to Europe.
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