Kenya: Need to Revive Cricket

28 June 2011

editorial

Nairobi — For the past few weeks, Cricket Kenya has embarked on changes it says will help uplift the game.

The changes came in the wake of the national team’s poor performance at the Cricket World Cup, and were praised by many as a starting point in restoring the glory of Kenyan cricket.

The standards of the local sport have plummeted in the past seven years, with the national sides registering no meaningful wins home and away.

But before many of the proposed changes could be effected, the CK Board and players had a fallout over new contracts, which the latter refused to sign, forcing the Board to come up with the kind of contracts the players had demanded.

However, the exclusion of four senior players from the national team caused an even bigger problem bringing to the fore the bad blood between the Board and the players.

No one wants to cede any ground; but unless the stand-off is resolved, the proposed changes will remain just that — proposals.

It is at times of uncertainty like this that the Ministry of Sports needs to flex its muscle.

Waiting for someone else to solve the problem is tantamount to admitting that it has failed.

AllAfrica – All the Time