A big weekend for Cricket in Kenya

This weekend is a major turning point in Kenyan Cricket. Today, Roger Harper arrives to take over the post of coach of the national team. His first task will be to prepare the team for the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series in Bangladesh, assuming of course this goes ahead. He will have just over a month to get to know the players, and gel them into a unit capable not only of competing, but winning. No pressure coach! Welcome and good luck!

Tomorrow, according to reports in the Standard, the KCA executive committee will meet to dissolve the Association, and replace it with Cricket Kenya. After years of mis-management, and the resulting fallout - player strikes, sponsorship withdrawal, lack of matches, a new dawn is here. There is a challenge for the new body to make up a lot of lost ground in a short space of time, but it is possible. One of the first steps Kenya Cricket must take is to bring on board some sponsors. With the ODI series in Bangladesh coming up, plus the Intercontinental tie against Holland, there should be plenty to lure potential sponsors back to the fold. Kenya Cricket must then look to the domestic game and spreading the word. Under the last administration, it was left largely to the provincial bodies to organise the majority of the cricket played in Kenya. This must change. If Cricket is to become a truly national sport, and there is no reason why this should'ne happen, it must be the national body, i.e Cricket Kenya who pave the way. Samir Inamdar has stated that he wants to set up a National Competition at junior as well as senior level. Now is the time for this to be put into place. There is a lot of work to do ahead for Cricket Kenya, but the right noises are being made. All the best to the new team - we watch for the results with interest, and finally, a little hope.

Also tomorrow is the final of the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association Twenty-20 competition. A replay of last year, it should be a cracker of a match, and a perfect opportunity for Kenya's new coach, and the board of selectors to spot for talent. Anyone in Nairobi could do a lot worse for a day's entertainment than get along to support the game, and in doing so,cricket in Kenya.