Damned if they do ...

Our old friend Chris Tsuma has used the season of goodwill to all men to have another one of his digs at Cricket Kenya, although at least this time he has stopped short of saying that the return of Sharad Ghai would signal the dawn of a new era of unheralded success.

In his year-end round-up in The Nation, Tsuma was faced with a problem. The new board had ensured the national team played more ODIs in the last 12 months than in the previous three years, and had also signed a lucrative TV deal which would ensure that funds went directly to the game in Kenya, something that previous deals had been accused of not doing. So what could he take a pop at?

Easy. Why were Kenya not hosting home series against a Test nation or even A-team matches against leading countries. Tsuma, never one to let detail get in the way of a good attack, seems to overlook the reluctance of major countries to tour minnows – ask Bangladesh for starters. But, he then has a go at the board for the results – two whitewashes – when they did get major opposition from Australia and Bangladesh.

For sure there is much room for improvement, but there is also, as he well knows, much baggage to be lost. Kenya have taken steps to build for the future, but it will take time. A little support from the country’s main newspaper might not go amiss. Just don’t expect it from Tsuma.