Kamande sacked as Kenya captain

Jimmy Kamande has been sacked as Kenya's captain in the light of the country's dismal performance at the World Cup.

The announcement is the latest move by Cricket Kenya in the aftermath of the tournament and a poor two or three years leading up to it. Eldine Baptiste, the coach, was removed earlier in the week.

"Cricket Kenya has taken the decision to stand down Jimmy Kamande as captain as part of the widespread changes we are making during our post World Cup review," explained the board's chief executive, Tom Sears.

"Given that the national squad don't have any fixtures until July, when they feature in the African Cricket Association Twenty 20 tournament, and we are in the process of recruiting a new coach and appointing a new selection panel, we will not be announcing a replacement at this stage.

"It's important that when the coach and selectors begin their roles they have a blank sheet of paper to work from. They will have an opportunity to assess all eligible players and identify those they feel have the ability, character and desire to be part of our future plans.

"They will also have the mandate to recommend the player they feel will make the best captain, someone who can lead the team by example, contribute significantly and positively on and off the field and restore some pride back into cricket in Kenya."

Kamande only took charge in October 2010 but was unable to reverse a decline in results for a team which had been on the slide for several years. While in the normal course of events he might have been expected to be given a longer stab at the job, there were reports of serious problems within the squad during the tournament and he seems to have paid the price for that as much as on-the-field performances.