Sports Monthly - Cricket

Cricket elections postponed

The postponement of the elections, the suspension of the Central Kenya branch from the activities of the national governing body and the decision to contract the national team players are just the latest in the protracted confusion and gerrymandering that has dogged successive national governing bodies for some time now.

And it’s doing great disservice in the development of the sport to the grassroot.

The election, initially slated for last June had to be pushed forward by a month to July 22 for what sources claimed that the date cohered with the International Cricket Council (ICC) executive committee meeting in London at which Cricket Kenya chairman Samir Inamdar attended as a member.

But even that July 22 new date was not to be; the elections had to be pushed back once again after it emerged that Nairobi Province Cricket Association (NPCA) was not ready to proceed; that it had not reviewed its constitution in accordance with the 2005 agreement.

It has emerged that the association has appointed a committee to look into ways of promulgating a new constitution that coheres with the provisions in the Cricket Kenya constitution, and which goes in tandem with the memorandum of understanding signed two years ago during the change of guard that led to the current executive committee taking office.

It has also emerged that NPCA's member clubs refused to approve acting chairman Sukhbans Singh's report or to pass accounts for the last three years as no meeting had been held for the last three years and that the existing NPCA executive committee had refused to amend its constitution in tandem with an agreement made by the sport’s stakeholders in 2005.

Under Cricket Kenya's constitution, the NPCA, which is the country's most powerful branch of the national governing body with the country’s major clubs, cannot participate in the CK elections while its old constitution remains the way it is. Ten of the 17 clubs that make up the NPCA, have refused to adopt the statement of accounts and made it clear that they were deeply unhappy with the activities of the current executive committee.

Apart from NPCA, the constitutions of other two provinces - Rift Valley and Coast – any CK executive committee member has to be a member of a cricket club belonging to that province.Singh is not a delegate of any club and its believed that others are in a similar position. Under the NPCA's existing constitution, once elected they remain in office as existing officials, and it is that provision which both the clubs and CK want changed.

The decision of CK’s executive committee to suspend Central Kenya from the activities of the national body have caused some considerable disquiet within and without but Inamdar believes “the province has not promoted any form of the game in their area of jurisdiction.”

The timing of the suspension has been viewed suspiciously, most of the people aver the decision was borne out of incomprehensible malice and is a desperate attempt by the executive committee to rid the national body of those votes they think wouldn’t work to their favour in the bid to seek re-election.

Defunct Kenyan Cricket Association set up the central province branch in the 1990s even though it was obvious there was, and still is, no serious cricket played there.

Nothing much has changed, even after Inamdar promised to catalyse the development of the sport in all areas of the country.

Though, and the common feeling has been that it was created to give some elements within KCA extra votes that gave them an edge over their rivals.

Although Inamdar is creating room for his re-election by, for example, enticing players with contracts and the suspension of the branches that he believes are hostile to him, the common feeling within the playing unit is that he has fallen short in steering the once growing sport to greater heights, and they want him out.

When he assumed the mandate in 2005, Inamdar was then seen as saviour to a sport whose collapse had seemed irredeemable. He sauntered in with gusto, and made an acceptance speech that demonstrated his determination to rid off the falstaff that had pulled down the edifice on which the sport was erected.

Inamdar had also promised to halt the wrangles that had become the trademark of the then KCA and allow the executive committee members sing from the same hymnsheet, to popularize and promote the growth of the game in all its facets.

On the count, Inamdar has succeeded highly; the blazing guns that were once associated with KCA have all gone silent, even though there is no end to silent murmurs from within.

The popularity of the game remains a tall order, the corporate organizations have given the CK a wide berth, poor performance on the pitch persists with no signs of improvement, there is no national league worth a mention and the long version of the game remains a mirage.

Former chairman of KCA Sharad Ghai has indicated his willingness to return and oppose Inamdar, even though, he told the Sports Monthly in an interview that he was not interested.

“It’s not true,” he said on allegations he wanted to take over the CK. “as of now there is absolutely no truth in those claims, but in case of anything I will call you.”

And as much as Inamdar may have a convincing case for re-election, there is no doubt that a lot remains ahead of whoever will take over the office when the elections are called. That is if they will ever be held.