Thanks to the ICC buggering around instead of organising dates for the Intercontinental Cup i will miss out on Kenya's next two games despite being in the countries they are being played in at the same time of year.
I arrive in Kenya on 31st December having traveled via Dubai. While i am in Kenya, Kenya fly to the UAE to play them on the 9th of January. Then at the end of my Holiday when I will be spending 4 nights in Dubai, Kenya will be taking on Namibia in Nairobi. something is not right with this picture!
I found out about these dates the day after I booked my (non changeable) tickets having been hassling the ICC for the dates for a while now so I could work in some cricket watching to the holiday. Then they wonder why they don't get bigger crowds and more support. FFS - my neighbour's half blind poodle could organise things better!
NOT HAPPY!!!!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Still a big gap
Despite Kenya's recent series whitewash over Canada, October has not all been good for Kenyan Cricket. Denmark, who have been touring the country playing a combination of age, regional and development teams leave undefeated having beaten Kenya A in their final match. It should also be noted that this was a strong Kenya A side after previous results against CCA and NPCA sides were convincing victories for the Danes and prompted a shuffle in personel.
That Cricket Kenya organised the tour and that they spread the games around different teams allowing different players to gain experience is to be lauded. It is however slightly disappointing that Kenya A were not able to put up a better performance. It would also have been nice if the opportunity of having Denmark and Uganda both in the country had been taken to play a triangular with Kenya A. The way Uganda are playing, they probably would have won that event, but it would have been good experience for all concerned. CCA and NPCA could still have been given warm up games against either of the teams so that they didn't miss out.
what Kenya A's results do show is that there is still a fairly big gulf between the players in the national team and the back up or fringe players. If Kenya are going to develop into a more competitive unit, this gap needs to be bridged. This should begin to happen once the much touted National League gets underway - supposedly next month. There seems to be some confusion as to the teams that will play in that, but it sounds like it could be 2 from Nairobi and 1 each from Coast, Rift and Central with the latter 2 heavily subsidised by Nairobi players, certainly to begin with.
I think that Cricket Kenya should also include Kenya Under 19s as a separate team in this competition. It would certainly help bring on the next generation and should lead to stronger development sides and better integration of the fringe players into the national squad as they will be more used to playing a more competitive brand of cricket.
In the meantime, the national team play their first of 3 ODIs against Bermuda today. Let's hope Odoyo and Obanda can continue their good form and that some of the others also make big scores and take plenty of wickets. Make no mistake, this is a series that Kenya really should dominate.
That Cricket Kenya organised the tour and that they spread the games around different teams allowing different players to gain experience is to be lauded. It is however slightly disappointing that Kenya A were not able to put up a better performance. It would also have been nice if the opportunity of having Denmark and Uganda both in the country had been taken to play a triangular with Kenya A. The way Uganda are playing, they probably would have won that event, but it would have been good experience for all concerned. CCA and NPCA could still have been given warm up games against either of the teams so that they didn't miss out.
what Kenya A's results do show is that there is still a fairly big gulf between the players in the national team and the back up or fringe players. If Kenya are going to develop into a more competitive unit, this gap needs to be bridged. This should begin to happen once the much touted National League gets underway - supposedly next month. There seems to be some confusion as to the teams that will play in that, but it sounds like it could be 2 from Nairobi and 1 each from Coast, Rift and Central with the latter 2 heavily subsidised by Nairobi players, certainly to begin with.
I think that Cricket Kenya should also include Kenya Under 19s as a separate team in this competition. It would certainly help bring on the next generation and should lead to stronger development sides and better integration of the fringe players into the national squad as they will be more used to playing a more competitive brand of cricket.
In the meantime, the national team play their first of 3 ODIs against Bermuda today. Let's hope Odoyo and Obanda can continue their good form and that some of the others also make big scores and take plenty of wickets. Make no mistake, this is a series that Kenya really should dominate.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Cutting off the nose to spite the face
Swamibapa are a club with a history of contributing a great deal to Kenyan cricket and with the bulk of the Kenyan national team playing for them, they should be one of the flag bearers for the game in the country. Instead they have allowed petulance and selfishness to get in the way of duty and in doing so have done great damage to the game and to their own players in the process.
This season should have provided a three way battle for the title with Kanbis, Swamibapa and new comers Stray Lions all battling out for the top honours in Kenyan cricket. At the beginning of the season the clubs met with the NPCA and the issue of players away on national duty was raised. It was decided then that no matches would be postponed and the teams would have to delve into their lower grades to make up sides. Everyone was happy with this until Swamibapa started to lose matches because their players were away representing the country. They requested other matches be delayed and when the NPCA refused, they withdrew their team from the Super Division in protest.
What short sighted idiocy. Kenya's top cricketers get little enough cricket at is is, but now the Swamibapa players, who make up the bulk of the national team will go into the series against Canada and Bermuda with hardly any cricket under their belts since the 20-20 world Cup. Instead of biting the bullet and putting out the best side they could under the circumstances, Swamibapa have tried to hold the game to ransom. The NPCA, quite rightly, have stood their ground and all that has been achieved is that the players (whom both the club and the administration are essentially there to serve) once again get the raw end of the deal. Worse is that Kenya have two must-win Intercontinental Cup games coming up and go in under prepared as well as having no national coach. The latter is certainly no fault of Swamibapa, but the lack of cricket certainly is and if the team lose because of it, I for one will hold them largely responsible. It must be tempting for the selectors to look elsewhere at the players who have been in action and have shown good form. Harsh on the Swamibapa players perhaps, but maybe they should have prevailed more upon the club to do the right thing.
Swamibapa's stand is just the latest in a series of poor and selfish actions made by a variety of cricket administrators in Kenya over the last year. When will the buffoons that make these sorts of decisions realise that all they are doing by them is hurting an already fragile game. As administrators of the game, they are there to serve it, not the other way round. If they cannot grow up and do their job properly, they should not be running a bath let alone what should be Kenya's premier team sport. It is high time that politics and personal pride was kicked out of Kenyan cricket. There should be no space in the game's set up for it and the sooner those responsible grow up and realise where their priorities should be, the sooner the people that play and love the game can get on and do just that without senseless interference.
This season should have provided a three way battle for the title with Kanbis, Swamibapa and new comers Stray Lions all battling out for the top honours in Kenyan cricket. At the beginning of the season the clubs met with the NPCA and the issue of players away on national duty was raised. It was decided then that no matches would be postponed and the teams would have to delve into their lower grades to make up sides. Everyone was happy with this until Swamibapa started to lose matches because their players were away representing the country. They requested other matches be delayed and when the NPCA refused, they withdrew their team from the Super Division in protest.
What short sighted idiocy. Kenya's top cricketers get little enough cricket at is is, but now the Swamibapa players, who make up the bulk of the national team will go into the series against Canada and Bermuda with hardly any cricket under their belts since the 20-20 world Cup. Instead of biting the bullet and putting out the best side they could under the circumstances, Swamibapa have tried to hold the game to ransom. The NPCA, quite rightly, have stood their ground and all that has been achieved is that the players (whom both the club and the administration are essentially there to serve) once again get the raw end of the deal. Worse is that Kenya have two must-win Intercontinental Cup games coming up and go in under prepared as well as having no national coach. The latter is certainly no fault of Swamibapa, but the lack of cricket certainly is and if the team lose because of it, I for one will hold them largely responsible. It must be tempting for the selectors to look elsewhere at the players who have been in action and have shown good form. Harsh on the Swamibapa players perhaps, but maybe they should have prevailed more upon the club to do the right thing.
Swamibapa's stand is just the latest in a series of poor and selfish actions made by a variety of cricket administrators in Kenya over the last year. When will the buffoons that make these sorts of decisions realise that all they are doing by them is hurting an already fragile game. As administrators of the game, they are there to serve it, not the other way round. If they cannot grow up and do their job properly, they should not be running a bath let alone what should be Kenya's premier team sport. It is high time that politics and personal pride was kicked out of Kenyan cricket. There should be no space in the game's set up for it and the sooner those responsible grow up and realise where their priorities should be, the sooner the people that play and love the game can get on and do just that without senseless interference.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Reader's reply to 'Doom?'
This reply comes from Reader Andrew Maina and is reproduced unedited:
"Unless Cricket Kenya makes real and concrete steps to expand their young player base beyond the handful of international schools that already have cricketing facilities then they shouldn't be surprised that they are having so much trouble finding talented youngsters to fill the voids left by such players like Ravi Shah and Morris Odumbe and that the few young players are struggling so much to cope. Methinks they should borrow a leaf from sports like Athletics Kenya, who have built a global powerhouse of an athletics team of the talents they uncover on a regular basis in national level sports competitions,and more recently the Kenya Rugby Football Union, in starting a public schools cricket competition. They could for example begin by selecting a core of say 5 schools in Nairobi, Rift Valley and Coast provinces to set up nets on their own school compound and regular access to a nearby cricket pitch for use when they need to play practice or real matches against each other. These would then act an extra source of new blood for clubs and if they are good enough who knows."
Well said Andrew.
"Unless Cricket Kenya makes real and concrete steps to expand their young player base beyond the handful of international schools that already have cricketing facilities then they shouldn't be surprised that they are having so much trouble finding talented youngsters to fill the voids left by such players like Ravi Shah and Morris Odumbe and that the few young players are struggling so much to cope. Methinks they should borrow a leaf from sports like Athletics Kenya, who have built a global powerhouse of an athletics team of the talents they uncover on a regular basis in national level sports competitions,and more recently the Kenya Rugby Football Union, in starting a public schools cricket competition. They could for example begin by selecting a core of say 5 schools in Nairobi, Rift Valley and Coast provinces to set up nets on their own school compound and regular access to a nearby cricket pitch for use when they need to play practice or real matches against each other. These would then act an extra source of new blood for clubs and if they are good enough who knows."
Well said Andrew.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Doom?
Richard Mwangi writing in the Nation called it the doom of Kenyan cricket. While I have been critical before of the Nation for their attacks on the sport, this time his article is pretty much on the money.
He stressed the need for a multi-day competition as highlighted by Roger Harper and the Late Bob Woolmer (and countless others as well). He also noted the demise of the domestic League and the fact that selectors do not seem to use it as a basis for selection anymore. With the two top domestic runscorers sitting at home while the national team was bundled out for two sub 90 scores, it is hard to argue with. He also draws attention to the fact that the only cricket really happens in Nairobi, but could have gone on to say that cricket in other areas, namely Coast and Rift Valley have been going backwards. Well judging by the lack of communication and news from them anyway.
Finally the article points out the gains made by Uganda in growing their game and mentions that unless Kenya follow suit, we may not qualify for the next World Cup. It is alarming reading and may be an over reaction to the terrible performance of the team in South Africa, but he has got a lot right. Unless Cricket Kenya start to look at sorting out the domestic situation at all levels, we are in serious strife. Promises have been made for 2 years now about national leagues and junior development. It is about time we started to see those promises being fulfilled.
He stressed the need for a multi-day competition as highlighted by Roger Harper and the Late Bob Woolmer (and countless others as well). He also noted the demise of the domestic League and the fact that selectors do not seem to use it as a basis for selection anymore. With the two top domestic runscorers sitting at home while the national team was bundled out for two sub 90 scores, it is hard to argue with. He also draws attention to the fact that the only cricket really happens in Nairobi, but could have gone on to say that cricket in other areas, namely Coast and Rift Valley have been going backwards. Well judging by the lack of communication and news from them anyway.
Finally the article points out the gains made by Uganda in growing their game and mentions that unless Kenya follow suit, we may not qualify for the next World Cup. It is alarming reading and may be an over reaction to the terrible performance of the team in South Africa, but he has got a lot right. Unless Cricket Kenya start to look at sorting out the domestic situation at all levels, we are in serious strife. Promises have been made for 2 years now about national leagues and junior development. It is about time we started to see those promises being fulfilled.
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