Kenya still hopeful of Test status

Andy Moles, Kenya's coach, has not given up hope that his team might be awarded Test status next year, but believes that they should be introduced into a second tier alongside the likes of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Kenya were the surprise package of last year's World Cup, progressing to the semi-finals after victories over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. But they have played just three more international matches in the intervening 11 months, and all their good work could go to waste if they are not given more opportunities to play at the highest level.

The ICC are aware of our problem," said Moles, speaking to the BBC from Barbados, where Kenya are currently competing in the Carib Beer tournament. "But the problem is they have a 10-year plan which means all the Test-playing nations are playing a lot of cricket all the time. We are now asking individual boards if we can play against A-sides or against some of the counties in England."

For many of the Kenyans, the Caribbean tour is their first stab at four-day cricket, and Moles admitted that the transition was proving tricky. "In the one-day game the batsmen can concentrate for an hour-and-a-half," he said, "but to stay in for three or four sessions is more difficult for them. Surprisingly, the wickets have been slow and low - all the batsmen are eventually getting out caught in the covers and things. But the more cricket we are playing the better we get."

Most of the Kenyan World Cup squad were over 30, but now they have blooded four or five players under the age of 22. It is a sign of definite progress, according to Moles, but he has greater ambitions for his charges. "We should play with Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and another new Test nation," he admitted. "It wouldn't be full Test status, but when you see how Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have struggled recently you cannot imagine the sponsors rushing to support some of these matches.

"But the four countries in the second tier would be strengthened by playing more competitive cricket," he added, "rather than being on the wrong end of a good hiding every time." And if Moles' idea was followed to the letter, then the top team in the second tier would play against the bottom-ranked Test nation in a series every three years, to assess their progress.