Inamdar defends domestic structure

Roger Harper, Kenya's coach, criticised the country's domestic structure, telling the Nation newspaper that the quality of the game at club level was not good enough to stimulate growth in the general level of the game in Kenya.

Harper said he was very disappointed with what he has seen so far of Nairobi Provincial Cricket Assocation League, the main domestic competition in the country. "It's the highest form of club cricket in Kenya, the level just below the national team and I expect a much more high standard of cricket than what I have seen. If Kenyan cricket is going to progress, we have to improve standards at club level."

Samir Inamdar, Cricket Kenya's chairman, said that he was aware of the need to bridge the gap between the league and the national side.

"You cannot simply manufacture standards," he told Cricinfo. "It takes time and it will happen, provided we get on track with development programmes. It won't happen overnight, but standards will improve. By the time of the World Cup, Roger will have been here 15 months and that's not long enough for substantial changes to happen.

"We have a large gap between the national team and the new crop of players, age wise. It's a generation gap that needs bridging and that takes time. The situation will only improve when you re-establish the link between schools and clubs, and then between clubs and provinces and up to the national side."

Although there were development structures in place, they broke down during the bitter infighting between the NPCA and the old Kenyan Cricket Association. The NPCA was shunned by the KCA, and with the Coast cricket Association, the country's other main league, had to survive with almost no central funding.

Inamdar added: "We are looking for a development sponsor who can help with the coaching programme and who will help us speed up the re-establishment of the structure."