Cricket: Kenya’s decline exposed in 2027 World Cup qualifiers 

Kenya’s dismal performance in the recently concluded 2024 Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge (CWC) League “A” in Nairobi has exposed the nation’s continued decline in a sport where it once competed formidably against the world’s top teams.

With just two wins and three embarrassing losses, Kenya finished a disappointing fourth with four points in the One Day International (ODI) tournament, the first round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Cricket World Cup. Jersey claimed the top spot with eight points, similar to Papua New Guinea (PNG), while Kuwait finished third with six points. 

Denmark also with four points finished fifth, while winless Qatar took the last spot with zero points.

The Simbas’ dismal performance in the two-week tournament that ended on Saturday has raised questions on whether Cricket Kenya (CK), under the leadership of Manoj Patel, is on the right track to restoring the country’s lost cricket glory.

Patel, a businessman and former cricketer, was elected to office on February 26, 2022.

His primary agenda was to turn around the country’s dwindling fortunes, which had resulted from leadership wrangles and poor management.

Kenya boasts five International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup appearances; four ODI – 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2011 and one T20 (2007).

But their overall poor performance in the World Cup qualifiers reflects a team, which is regressing rather than making any progress.

Kenya defeated Jersey and Qatar by six and three wickets respectively.

The hosts lost to PNG (one wicket), Denmark (four wickets), and Kuwait (97 runs). If Kenyan fans thought the match against Kuwait was dramatic, they were in for a surprise, as the hosts again faltered in their last match against PNG at Nairobi Gymkhana on Saturday, dropping a massive five catches, to lose narrowly to the Pacific island nation.

It exposed Kenya’s ill preparations for the tournament and lack of progress in the team’s development.

“It (dropping catches) seems a big problem but we normally do give them (players) catches in training. I think it is more of a lack of concentration being in the game,” observed a visibly disappointed Onyango after their loss to Kuwait.

Poor fielding has been one of Kenya’s main undoing in recent competition, including at the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional qualifiers in Windhoek, Namibia in November last year and the 13th African Games held in Accra, Ghana in March this year. Kenya finished fourth with six points in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional qualifiers.

Namibia qualified for the World Cup alongside Uganda after finishing first and second with 12 and 10 points respectively.

In the African Games, Kenya finished fourth, while Zimbabwe clinched the gold medal. Ahead of the first round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Cricket World Cup, Onyango had lamented over the lack of adequate preparations.

“It (our preparations) could have been better than what it is but I cannot complain much. We could have had a tour and played some games with stronger oppositions,” said the former Kenya international.

Assistant coach Joseph Angara echoed the statement after their loss to PNG.

“Yes we could have done better but in reality, for us to have won three games would have been good for us compared to the way we prepared, we did not have many matches for preparations,” said the former Kenya international.

Unlike Kenya, which played several matches against locally assembled players, PNG played several friendly matches against Uganda in Kampala.

Former captain Rakep Patel was Kenya’s best player in the tournament. The wicket-keeper batsman, who plays right-handed and bowls off-spin, shone with the bat in their match against PNG, hitting an impressive 91 runs while in their clashes with Jersey and Denmark, he scored 84 and 85 runs respectively. Patel spiced up his impressive performance against Jersey with six wickets.

The all-rounder had resigned ahead of the tournament, saying he felt it was time for “someone else to take over.”

However, sources within the team and CK, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, told Nation Sport that Patel was frustrated by how players’ welfare was being handled.

Key among the issues raised by Patel, the sources revealed, were players not being contracted, and lack of adequate preparations for competitions.

“He felt that it was too much for him to be the middleman between the players and the CK board because their (players’) concerns were not being addressed despite promises being made,” said one of the sources.

“The board let him down. It took a heavy toll on his performance.” The players waited until August 14 to renew their contracts, which had lapsed in March. But the resignation of Patel was not the only setback the team faced ahead of the tournament. Former Indian international Dodda Ganesh also parted ways with the team as the head coach barely a month into the job. 

Ganesh, 51, received a letter from the CK Executive Board on September 12, directing him to cease any further engagement with the team because his appointment was unprocedural. Onyango and Angara resumed their roles as coach and assistant coach respectively in an acting capacity.