Tikolo's professionalism claims rejected
Cricket Kenya chairman Samir Inamdar has denied claims made by Steve Tikolo, Kenya's captain, that more of the country's players need to be made professional
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In a recent interview, Tikolo said that more players needed to be on full-time contracts to allow them to train properly. While admitting that some of the national side were contracted, he added that "the rest of the players need to be looked after too".
"I think Steve is talking about players outside the contracted ones," Inamdar told Cricinfo. "Calling the contracted players semi-professional is not accurate. They are fully-contracted based on a scale of salaries, match fees and other allowances that he himself together with his senior players approved in June last year.
"While players emoluments are always an emotive issue, the players are receiving a regular income with match fees to boot. Their health care needs, daily lunches, insurances and physiotherapy needs are all looked after. A total of about 18 players are contracted on this basis. The other players who are not contracted but help out by turning up for nets etc each receive a daily allowance and a lunch.
"Given the state of our resources I think that the players have done reasonably well. It is quite plain - and the figures were given out at our stakeholders meeting - that the overwhelming major portion of our revenue goes to the players - probably two-thirds or thereabouts in 2006."
Kenya are the only non Test-playing country to have players on full-time contracts, and while others have signalled their desire to follow suit, they have not had the finances to enable them to do that. CK has only been able to buck the trend because of the side's success in the World Cricket League last February - it earned them US$250,000 - and a new media deal signed in 2007.
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