Minnows of the world unite
Will Luke attends the launch of the World Cricket League
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"I think I speak on behalf of many associates that, to many a full member - perhaps even a cricketer - the cream of Associate cricket remains a mysterious enigma," he said at the WCL opening ceremony, at Parklands in Nairobi. "No one really knows how good they are, how well they will perform in the World Cup. Over the next two weeks we stand to learn just how good they are and that alone is a huge step forward. The eyes of the world will be on us today."
Inamdar was speaking at a lavish, marquee ceremony in the district of Parklands on the eve of the first match between Kenya and Bermuda tomorrow. Cultural dancers, local to the district, performed a dazzling display of hamstring-tweaking manoeuvres to a large audience, made up of the six participating teams, media, administrators and almost anyone with even the vaguest connection to cricket in Kenya. There was a strong sense from the group of people collected that here they all were "in it together," fighting the once spiritless cause of lower-tier cricket. Recognition at last.
"Kenya is proud to host this event because, for too long, the country has been in the news for precisely the wrong reasons," Inamdar said. "I'm not prepared to dwell on the past, but what I do say is we have made enormous progress in the way our cricket is managed. But we are still not out of the woods and an enormous amount of work remains to be done. We are in for an exciting time in the next 10-12 days."
It is too early for congratulatory back-slapping - the opening game of the tournament is still some 12 hours away. But tonight confirmed the zeal and fervour for cricket in Kenya. Win lose or draw, it is an immensely encouraging sign for the future.
Will Luke is editorial assistant of Cricinfo
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