Kenya dismiss Under-19 criticism

Cricket Kenya has dismissed criticism in some sections of the media following the poor performance of the Under-19 side in the recently concluded Africa Championship. Kenya, who will host the U-19 World Cup in 2010, finished fourth.

“It’s easy to snipe, but the side was without the bulk of the first-choice players,” a board official told Cricinfo. “The tournament was scheduled in the middle of school exams, and many of the boys’ parents, understandably, refused to allow their sons to miss those to take part. Given we are already guaranteed a spot [at the World Cup] it was hardly a make-or-break event.”

The top two teams - Uganda and Sierra Leone – progressed to the next stage of the qualification process for the U-19 World Cup, but Kenya automatically get a place as hosts.