India are there to be beaten - Patil

Kenya coach Sandeep Patil insists victory over India is a realistic aspiration in tomorrow's Super Six encounter at Newlands, Cape Town.

Patil, a World Cup winner with India in 1983, is tired of constant claims that Kenya are effectively tournament also-rans.

But he has been particularly irritated by comments made by Navjot Sidhu, the former India Test opener who is now a television commentator.

"He said the top teams were going to lick us like candy but I would like to tell him that I am carrying candy for him and he should start licking it now," said Patil, whose team beat Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Canada in Pool B.

"We had a goal in front of us at the start of the tournament, to qualify for the Super Six, which we have done. I've said for the last four years that this team is capable of beating any side in the world.

"Of course, saying it is one thing and it happening on the field is another but we have made things happen on the ground. "We have made a big statement to the cricketing world by reaching the Super Sixes. We have also made a statement on behalf of the other weaker teams, Canada, Namibia and Holland because we were always considered minnows.

"Let's be realistic, we have taken half a step forward and we would like to complete that step by playing good cricket. Everyone knows how good the Indian side is and how the Kenyan side compares but one-day cricket is so funny; I have seen good sides losing and weaker sides winning."

It is not inconceivable that the teams could meet again in the semi-finals regardless of the result in Cape Town, because Kenya are currenly behind only Australia in the standings.

"We are here to play cricket," Patel insisted. "The rules and regulations are not our problem, it is the International Cricket Council who have set the rules for points.

"We are not here because we played bad cricket but we also know that New Zealand forfeited their points and we have benefited like Zimbabwe have. Luck plays a part in cricket but we are here because we played well."

Kenya's captain Steve Tikolo, who has been one of the mainstays of cricket in his country over the past decade, conceded: "It is a great achievement to get here and we have thought about that prospect but we would like to go through to the semi-finals having won at least one game.

"There is pressure on us to do so but there is always pressure each time you walk out to play a game against a Test-playing country. If we do get through by not winning that is life and we must take life as it comes."

Tikolo also believes Kenya should be given more international exposure given that Bangladesh, who have lost their last 30 completed one-day matches, were handed Test status in 2000.

"We don't want to compare ourselves to Bangladesh but having said that we have a better side and hopefully ICC will look into that," he added.

Bangladesh have won just three out of 67 one-day internationals while Kenya, who won as many in the group stages here, have 11 wins from 57 games.