Kenya to play in Carib Beer

NAIROBI: Kenya are to undertake a major cricket tour to the West Indies in the New Year as part of their quest to achieve Test status. They will take part in a series of One-Day Internationals and also take part in the Caribbean’s First-Class championship. The tour will give them a first taste of conditions in the West Indies, who will host the 2007 World Cup. “It’s now confirmed and the trip will start on January 10  and last until the end of March,” said Kenya Cricket Association secretary Sharad Ghai. Prior to the tour, Kenya will play five home one-day matches against Sri Lanka’s “A” team next month, their first competitive action since Englishman Andy Moles was appointed as coach.

Former Warwickshire batsman Moles was appointed to succeed India’s Sandeep Patil and he has urged the team to be “professional in everything we do, in our preparations, in the way we play the game.” Kenya have held official One-Day International status for four years but shocked the cricket world by reaching the World Cup semi-finals in South Africa earlier this year. They beat Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh on their way to the last four where they were eventually beaten by India. Despite that, the International Cricket Council has made it clear that Kenya will not be granted Tests status until 2005 at the earliest.