Cup tables turn for Kenya and WI

The only hope for Carl Hooper’s West Indians, whose predecessors won the first two editions of cricket’s showpiece in 1975 and 1979, is if Canada upset New Zealand and South Africa lose to Sri Lanka today.

It’s a remote possibility that even Hooper doubts will happen.

“Cricket’s a funny game, anything can happen, but really we know we are out of it,” Hooper said. “It will be hard to motivate the boys. But we will still try and win. It’s still a one-day international and more importantly, it is a World Cup game.”

Also, the West Indies would not want to suffer the embarrassment which Richie Richardson’s men went through in the 1996 World Cup when they lost to Kenya at Pune. The West Indies have slipped badly after a fine start in which they upset hosts South Africa under the Newlands lights at Cape Town in the opening match of the tournament on February 9.

But they won just one of their next four games, against Canada, and were further handicapped when bad weather denied them a certain win against Bangladesh.

The loss of those two points left them languishing at 10 points, two behind South Africa and New Zealand and six points adrift of Sri Lanka and Kenya.

The Kenyans, on the other hand, are flying high after becoming the first non-Test playing nation to qualify for the Super Sixes.

They deserved the spot after a shock win over Sri Lanka although their campaign was helped by New Zealand’s boycott of the Nairobi game on February 21, which gave Steve Tikolo’s team four easy points.

Tikolo hoped Kenya’s performance in the World Cup will strengthen their case to be granted Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC). “The ICC should take notice,” Tikolo said.

“Our performances here have shown that we are worth more international matches and they will definitely be a boost for Kenyan cricket – as you can see from our shirts, we don’t even have a sponsor.”