The Kenyans are here to stay

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At the beginning of the 2003 World Cup, few would have thought that Kenya was going to be the pride of African cricket in the tournament. More congratulations, then, to the Kenyans for becoming the first non-Test-playing nation to make it to the semi-finals of a cricket World Cup. They have certainly achieved a feat that none of the other "minnows" could even have dreamed of, and the success of the Kenyan national team is going to be a major boost for the game in that country.

As things stand now, Kenya may very well get steamrolled by the mighty Australians in the very next game, but they have still shown an exemplary quality to learn quickly and well. Unlike other detractors, I do not wish to take anything away from this Kenyan team and their coach Sandeep Patil, for the discipline and enthusiasm they have shown is quite remarkable. With the right kind of leadership and assistance from the ICC, I am sure Kenya has the potential to be a major force in world cricket in a few years. Watch out especially for Collins Obuya, for the young legspinner is improving with every game.

The prize-money in itself could help Kenya to invest greatly at the grassroots level. The board, I hope, will be able to somehow cobble together a first-class league, giving their players more exposure in the longer version of the game, before they even think of applying for Test status.

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Simply put, it is amazing that a team that struggled to find 30 quality players to make the preliminary World Cup squad finds itself in the World Cup semi-finals, and their success in this competition is akin to Cameroon's dream run in the 1990 soccer World Cup. As a country, Kenya now has more sportsmen to celebrate than their world-champion long-distance runners. The game of cricket is alive and kicking in Africa; let the South Africans choke and the clueless Zimbabweans break apart, for Kenya has saved the face of the continent.

Among the other teams, the Australians may look unstoppable at this moment, but Shane Bond showed it that their batsmen can crumble against incisive fast bowling. But the one team that should count itself to be very much in the running to win the Cup is India. The Indian team has not looked so good in recent times, and with Sachin Tendulkar batting in a manner only he can, and the other batsmen also turning in crucial performances, India's chances look very bright. Hats off too to the Indian seam bowlers; their performance in this World Cup has been a real revelation.

With three of the semi-final positions taken, I would plump for New Zealand to take the fourth position. I am a big fan of Stephen Fleming's captaincy, although some of his tactics may be beyond my comprehension. New Zealand really did look like the team to beat Australia, after the wonderful burst of fast bowling by Bond. But however the planning is, a good skipper is at his best when he leads from the front in the field. Fleming should have been ruthless and should not have let the opportunity to finish off the Australians slip past.

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New Zealand's team selection is also, in my opinion, a bit awry. In their opening game against Sri Lanka, poor Daryl Tuffey should have got Sanath Jayasuriya's wicket in his fourth over, but umpire Neil Mallender denied him a clear caught-behind wicket. Tuffey subsequently conceded 16 runs in his fifth over, and it was to be his last in this World Cup till date. It may be a completely different issue that Jayasuriya hit a match-winning hundred on that day, but especially with Chris Cairns not bowling in the game against Australia, Fleming should have played Tuffey.

But all said and done, even without Shane Warne, Allan Donald, Jonty Rhodes, Wasm Akram and Brian Lara, we have seen some stunning cricket in the Super Six stage. Instead of Shoaib Akthar, it was Shane Bond who stepped up to compete with Brett Lee. I still reckon that Cairns must now wake up and realise that he is one all-rounder who could still make a lot of difference in this World Cup - before it is all too late. In that light, then, the India-New Zealand encounter promises to be a real thriller.