Players called to account for dire display

Samir Inamdar, Cricket Kenya's chief executive, is set to meet with the national squad in Nairobi tomorrow to thrash out exactly what happened during the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Not only did Kenya lose both their matches, but they did so by massive margins. Their performances were lambasted in the world's media - their batsmen and bowlers were accused of not being good enough while their fielding was described as lamentable.

While the domestic press has been quick to point the finger of blame at the administration, the reality is that the players must take the brunt of the responsibility.

Until recently they could argue that they lacked the backing or the financial stability to be able to concentrate on playing the game. But, buoyed by success in the World Cricket League and a media deal, the national squad are now on central contracts and are able to devote all their time to preparation.

"We have problems in all the departments," Inamdar said after Kenya's exit from the tournament. "The team is very inconsistent, we do well in one game and badly in the next game. I'm concerned because even the players' contracts are pegged to performance."

While there are background issues which need addressing - most pressingly the need for an elite tournament inside Kenya to boost the level of domestic cricket being played - the immediate task facing Inamdar is to establish why the tried and trusted players have fallen away so badly in recent months.

One critic suggested that the players had become too comfortable and that with no real pressure for places, they had grown complacent. That idea was not lost on Inamdar.

"We need better players," he said. "The transition of the team has not gone well. Most of the players who took part in the 2003 World Cup have retired and the youngsters who replaced them are yet to click."

What seems to be the message is that with increasing investment comes pressure to deliver, and for some of the more senior members of the national squad, that might mean that they move aside to give the next generation a chance.