Obuya hopes Jenner can kick-start career

Collins Obuya: heading to Australia © Getty Images

Legspinning allrounder Collins Obuya, one of Kenya's heroes in the 2003 World Cup, has struggled to live up to the potential he showed then. Shortly after the tournament he suffered a knee injury, and since then he has suffered from the yips and a crisis of confidence.

But thanks to private sponsorship raised by the Kenyan Cricket Association, Obuya will fly to Australia next week to spend time with Terry Jenner, the legendary legspin coach who is widely credited for helping Shane Warne scale the heights of international cricket.

"Collins has struggled with is bowling ever since that knee injury in 2003 and we decided it would be wise to have him work with a specialist on his action as we try to get the players fit for the World Cup," explained KCA chief executive, Tom Tikolo. Obuya was signed by Warwickshire shortly after the World Cup, but the knee injury quickly ended his county ambitions. He suffered another blow when an appendicitis caused him to miss the 2004 Champions Trophy in England.

Although he is now fit, Obuya has struggled to find any consistency with the ball. In four Intercontinental Cup matches this season his four wickets have cost 61.25. This has impacted on his batting, with only one fifty in six innings and an average of 18.00.

Jenner is renowned for his one-on-one coaching technique, and it is expected that Obuya will stay with him while in Australia.