Sandeep Patil: steering Kenyan cricket in the right direction

It's not every day that you drive past Cross Maidan and find an international team on the field. It's not every day that you find the ELF Vengarkar cricket academy graced by a former star like Sandeep Patil. Then again, it's not every day that the Kenyan team tours India. With the Indian national team enjoying a break before they go to Dhaka to play the Asia Cup, Kenya are taking on various first class sides on their tour of India.

At the ELF Academy Ground, Patil was at his relaxed best when he spoke to reporters. "This tour is only for the players to gain exposure" he said. That has become a pretty standard line when it comes to coaches of developing cricket countries. However, it rings genuine when Patil says it. "There is a lot of potential in this side. There is talent and there is the potential to be matchwinners. The guys practice regularly at Nairobi but hardly get any match practice. That's why we're here - to play as many matches as we can."

Another important aspect Patil stressed on is the fact that the Kenyan players are new to the game and need to learn about the different aspects that go into a cricket tour. "We all know how to behave at home. You also need to learn how to carry yourself in someone else's house. This tour will help the guys learn how to travel, play and concentrate." This is an aspect that is taken for granted with most international teams, but for a team that is just making its mark in international cricket, these subtle things will only be picked up with experience.''

Until recently, Kenyan cricketers were mostly amateurs. This meant that they had their careers to look out for before they could concentrate on cricket. This situation has changed somewhat with Tusker stepping in as sponsors. Tusker is one of the leading breweries in Kenya and they have sponsored Kenyan cricket in much the same model as sponsorship takes place in South African cricket. "The sponsorship of Kenyan cricket by Tusker has made a big difference. It really has changed things. I now get to spend as much time with the players as I want. They are all fully contracted by the board and this means that I can have them at practice any time between seven in the morning and seven in the evening," says the former dashing Indian batsman, a hero of India's 1983 victorious World Cup campaign.

All in all, Patil seems a very contented man. "I am very happy with the way things have shaped for me, for the cricketers and Kenyan cricket in general. We don't mind losing but want to be playing cricket all the time." Sadly, he also had to add "funds are still a bit of a problem." This is something that every developing cricket nation has had difficulties with. However, one must remember that this Kenyan side beat the West Indies in a World Cup encounter in 1996. They have what it takes to one day make it to the big league in cricket. Patil senses this and is certainly doing all he can to make this transition as quickly and as painlessly as possible.