There was lots of chopping and changing around when the selection committee sat down amid player protests over due salaries/payments. The team management also took a shook-up as Kenya’s Interim Committee rung in a host of changes in the leadership team to the 14-member squad for the upcoming ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division 3 tournament to be held in Oman from Nov 07th – 21st, 2018.
David Obuya was named as the national men’s team head coach while brother Collins, a veteran, was announced as the new captain, taking over from Shem Ngoche, who led the side in Africa T20 Cup in South Africa few weeks earlier.
Ngoche’s stand over non-payments and players welfare are currently being reasoned for him standing down as the captain. Things worsened when the senior players did not take part in the matches scheduled against Marylebone Cricket Club held over the past few weeks as a number of U19 players filled up the spots in the national squad.
Kenya were also bailed out by Cricket South Africa, when lack of funds almost put their participation in Africa T20 Cup in a big doubt.
U19 players Sachin Bhudia, Jasraj Kundi & Gerald Mwendwa are the new inclusions. However, there are some questionable exclusions in Martin Okoth and Zahid Abbas, the latter being a stand-out performer in the domestic season and also had good returns against MCC.
Kenya will be competing against the host’s along with Uganda, USA, Denmark and Singapore for two qualification spots into ICC WCL Division 2, to be played in 2019 and is the qualification pathway towards 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
Kenya squad for ICC WCL Division 3:
Alex Obanda, Dhiren Gondaria, Irfan Karim, Collins Obuya (Captain), Rakep Patel, Gurdeep Singh, Shem Ngoche, Sachin Bhudia, Emmanuel Bundi, Pushpak Kerai, Nelson Odhiambo, Gerald Mwendwa & Jasraj Kundi
