Kenya needs more than talent alone - Harper

Roger Harper, the Kenya coach, has stated that the country has a lot more work to do before they can return to international cricket. Harper, who was appointed Kenya's coach in January 2006 shortly after the country was stripped of its international status, acknowledged the pool of talent that exists in the region, but cited the endless one-day matches as a potential crippling factor to the future development.

"There is no doubt that there is a lot of talent in Kenya," said Harper at an awards ceremony on Saturday. "It is not enough to have the talent alone. A lot of work has to be done.

"Kenya has to show it is the best associate member both in the short and long version of the game and unless the players get used to playing longer cricket, it will be difficult to compete at the international level."

Harper, 42, has already led the team to two international tours of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and in the drawn ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Holland in Nairobi. Kenya are to host the Atul Shah Memorial Cup in June, a tournament involving Kenya A, Uganda, Tanzania and a Coast XI to be held in Mombasa.