Doubts raised over one-day tournaments
Recent claims by the Kenyan Cricket Association (KCA) that it had arranged tri-nation one-day tournaments for the next four years appear to be a triumph of hope over reality
|
|
|
In November, Sharad Ghai, the KCA's chairman, announced that the board had struck a deal with an unnamed American company to invest US$6 million (Sh486 million) to guarantee four home series between August 2005 and November 2008. The tournaments would have involved each side playing each other three times, with the top two going through to a final, a total of ten games.
"Hosting these teams is impossible for the KCA given our financial position and that is why this arrangement with this company is very good for us because we cannot lose money," Ghai explained. But critics were quick to point out that Ghai had declined to identify the company, raising concerns as to the strength of its commitment. It has still not been named.
The weekend before last, Jasmer Singh, the KCA's communications and publications manager, gave more information, explaining that the four tournaments would involve India, South Africa and Kenya in 2005; Australia, West Indies and Kenya in 2006; South Africa, Pakistan and Kenya in 2007; and England, Sri Lanka and Kenya in 2008.
A spokesman for the South African board confirmed that the KCA had approached it to participate next year. "We have responded to them that we cannot play in the 2005 tournament due to a prior commitment," he explained. "The 2007 tournament is being considered by the playing affairs department." The Indian board was equally non committal. 'Nothing has been finalised regarding the one-day tournament in Nairobi," we were told by an official. "I can't say anything at this stage."
The following year's tournament looks equally doubtful, with Cricket Australia stating that it had "no commitment to play cricket in Nairobi in 2006," and the West Indies board maintaining it had not received any approach. With regards to 2008, a spokesman for the England & Wales Cricket Board said quite firmly that "we haven't agreed to participate," and Sri Lanka Cricket said it knew nothing about the proposed games. A reply is still awaited from the Pakistan Cricket Board, but there have to be serious concerns as to the likelihood of any of the events happening.
Without the cricket, there will almost certainly be no American sponsor, and equally the players will grow increasingly frustrated. At the outset of the ongoing strike by Kenya's leading cricketers, they wrote to Ochilo Ayacko, the minister for sport, highlighting their grievances. At the top of the list was "a lack of matches at the international level." The letter added that it was "the duty of the KCA to organise such fixtures while all this time we had been hoodwinked to believe it was the duty of the ICC."
Singh admitted that attracting sponsors was an ongoing problem, one not helped by the walkout. But to attract sponsors, there have to be more matches (Kenya's next serious outing is not until June when they play Uganda in the Intercontinental Cup) and without the money sponsorship brings, arranging games becomes that much harder.
Cricinfo contacted the board, and a spokesman told us that " at no stage has it been stated by KCA that the three-nation tournaments have been confirmed. We stated that these are the proposed schedule of tournaments, which will depend on how and when Test-playing countries can accommodate Kenya in the already clustered 10-year schedule. Some boards have already responded.
"The countries are aware of this and are looking at the available proposed dates. Kenya has previously organised threeand four-nation tournaments involving all Test-playing countries on various occasions, most successfully. The proposed tournaments full costs have been underwritten by an American company. Therefore the tournaments will be self sufficient."
Read in App
Elevate your reading experience on ESPNcricinfo App.