What's new

Should Kenya have been given Test status?

Jave

Debutant
Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Runs
59
Bangladesh were given Test status due to just one win over Pakistan while Kenya used to defeat Test teams like WI here and there and they also made it to WC 2003 Semi Finals which should have been enough for them to be given Test status but they werent given and looking at it now there team is struggling in WCL but had they been invested in they could have grown their fanbase and the cricket would have been alive there
 
No.

Unfortunately for Kenya the administration was extremely corrupt, so all the extra attention and profile they got was wasted. Kenyas success came from the freak emergence of talent within one or two families e.g the Obuyas, Tikolos and so on all played at the same club if im not wrong? So it was more a coincidence than anything they all developed together and played together at a club, thus improving each other and then formed a hell of a side for ten years, because Kenya had little in the way of any domestic system or talent identification processes to keep them going.

If you rephrase the question to "Did Kenya deserve it over Bangladesh?" then its an obvious yes because Kenya were miles the superior side. But Bangladesh had the case of 250 million cricket fanatical people which meant there was a financial incentive for the ICC to give them test status. Had the ICC taken over Kenyan cricket after their first WC upset, pumped money in and restructured them they could well be a top team today, but alas that never happened and Kenya only disgraced themselves in 2011 through sending a disinterested, incredibly aged side with constant infighting who, Australia game aside, only embarrassed themselves.

Can't them ever really improving on their current state tbh.
 
NO.
administration,money and big fan base never were there.political turmoil also is a headache there.
 
Kenya's cricket ceased to exist the day Steve Tikolo retired.

Test status? Probably even their associate status is under threat.
 
They didn't have a thriving domestic setup plus their population isn't interested in cricket. With Bangladesh you had a proper structure and a cricket crazy country.
 
I think, Kenya didn't get Test status as an aftermath of the scars of our Test status; otherwise in late 1990s & early 2000s, they indeed had a team to compete with 2nd tier in Tests. ICC gave BD Test status and immediately realized what they have done.

Sadly, the country is in shambles & might not ever get Test status. Their other sports are also declining as many top Kenyan athletes & soccer players are migrating to North America, Oceania & Middle East.
 
Had Kenya been given the Test status, it would have fallen like a deck of cards sadly. They didn't have any domestic structure, fan support, sponsors or good administration, Bangladesh on the other hand, had all three.
Sooner or later Bangladesh had to rise and it eventually happened in 2015. Still feel they were given Test status 10 years too early.
 
What went wrong with Kenya cricket?

Their cricket really grew initially and showed some great promise.

They beat Windies in 1996 World Cup
They beat an Indian team featuring Sidhu, Sachin, Azharudidn, Dravid in 1998.
They competed reasonably in the 1999 World Cup.
They got to the SF in the 2003 World Cup (ok it was because of teams pulling out but they did beat Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh on the way).

They were putting together some decent cricket and there was talk of them applying for test status.

Also unlike many other minnows, they actually had their own produced players - not just Aussie and South African expats like Netherlands.

Now they are unranked in ODIs and ranked 24 in T20s. They haven't qualified for the T20 World Cup since 2007 or the World Cup since 2011. In fact, it seems they haven't even played an ODI since 2014.

What happened?
 
Relied too much on that golden generation so once they left, there weren't adequate replacements.

The administration of the game hasn't been good either.
 
Having just a fee decent Cricketers is not enough . There should be a proper system to produce next generation of Cricketers..so once the Tikolo, Odombe, Suji and Otienos retired there was nobody to replace them and they fell to lower depths.
 
A lot of the Asians in Kenya have left the country and they were the ones who were mainly running and driving cricket forward in the country..

The domestic structure has taken a hit and needs investment. The clubs are relying on local individuals to fund them and the Board has no money.
 
Last edited:
Yes, it is a sad story, but it also shows where the priorities of the ICC are, they are more interested in USA, UAE where they have better markets. Ireland and Afhanistan got a big jump very quickly due to the same reason.

Just for the record, Kenya is competing in World division 2, I think, and are trying to book a spot for the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers to he held in Zimbabwe, although atm they are lying 5th (of 6 teams) in the group and look unlikely to make it.
 
They were always my favourite 'minnow'. It's very sad to see their cricket in this state after the earlier promise. Hopefully there can be a revival.
 
Kenya was one of my favorite teams back in the day. It was so cool seeing them constantly punch above their weight. 2003 was a proper underdog story like Senegal in 2002. Great to watch.

They weren't given test status because I don't know if they had a first class system and how strong it was. Bangladesh is a long term investment that has already paid off and will continue to pay off. Size of the country and cricket being the number one sport.

Can't say the same about Keya.
 
There was a dearth of leadership once Aasif Karim retired, and Maurice Odumbe was embroiled in a match-fixing scandal. The rot started in administration though, and the game was allowed to drift away out of public consciousness after the success of the 2003 World Cup.

The ICC were already dealing (hopelessly) with a basketcase in Zimbabwe at the time, I don't think they fancied adding to their troubles by giving Kenya test status. Apart from the sickening lip service, it has ostensibly never been part of the ICC's remit to grow the game.
 
To play Test Matches you need solid domestic structure, unfortunately Kenya does not have that.
 

Dodda Ganesh removed as Kenya coach less than one month after appointment​


Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh, who was appointed as the head coach of the Kenya men’s national team last month, was removed from the position this week over a procedural misstep within the Kenyan cricket board.

Ganesh was unvieled in the role on August 14 a one-year deal ahead of the Africa qualifiers for the T20 World Cup 2026.

But less than one month into the job, the 51-year-old has been relieved of his duties after the executive committee of Cricket Kenya declined to ratify the appointment “for want of following established procedures.”

In a letter sent to Ganesh, it read, “Voided the purported contract made on August 7, 2024 between Mr Manoj Patel and yourself. Pursuant to the above, Cricket Kenya is not and shall not be bound by the said purported contract.

“You are therefore directed to cease any further engagement or dealings with the men’s national cricket team with immediate effect. Any concerns or claims relating to this notice should be channeled to Mr Manoj Patel [Chairman] and any other individuals who irregularly and unprocedurally engaged you in this respect.”

 
Back
Top