Ghai unhappy with election decision

Hopes that the transition from the old to the new in Kenyan cricket would be a smooth affair were scotched when Sharad Ghai, the embattled chairman of the Kenya Cricket Association, told a local radio station that he was unhappy with the way that existing board officials had effectively been blocked from standing in this month's elections.

The new constitution barred the officials unless they were nominated as delegates by the provincial associations, but Ghai told Capital FM Sport that this was not in accordance with the decision made by Percy Sonn, the ICC's vice-president, when he decided on the new rules.

"There is one clause that is the issue, but as KCA we are not happy with that clause," Ghai said. "It says that the people who are eligible for the election are among those 20 who have been nominated. The way the clause has been put yesterday, gives the right to only those 20 and morally we think that is wrong, and I remember Sonn ... made a ruling that anyone can stand."

Ghai said that this would not block the elections set for May 22, but added that he would be raising the matter with the Africa Cricket Association.

The changes to the constitution were made to avoid a repetition of the situation where a small number of people could effectively seize control of the national association, and sources close to the process maintain that the ruling made at the weekend was exactly what had been agreed.

Although Ghai, who is facing a court case after being charged with misappropriating $3.3million of KCA funds, has insisted he will not stand for election, his comments will worry his long-standing opponents who fear that some of the old guard might not be willing to go quietly.