Fairytales still come true, Kenya create Cup history

‘‘We aren’t dreaming’’, he told The Indian Express. ‘‘I am being realistic, I’m taking it one step at a time. I wouldn’t call this win historic or anything; for us to be here at this stage is big enough.’’

Over the past month, Kenya has twice been slighted. The first time when New Zealand decided against playing there, despite repeated pleas from locals officials. The second, when their win over Sri Lanka drew whispers of the latter having tanked the game.

That, perhaps, is what prompted skipper Steve Tikolo to say, semi-final berth secured: ‘‘The victory at Port Elizabeth is an answer to all those who thought that we did not deserve a place in even the Super Six.’’

Why is this achievement so improbable? First, the extremely small talent pool from which cricketers are tapped. In a nation more famous for its distance runners, cricket is confined to the capital Nairobi. Bar one, all members of the team live there; the exception, Asif Karim, has played all his cricket there.

Karim, the team’s oldest member, put the problem in pithy perspective in conversation with this reporter before the first India match:‘‘If we had to field a second team today, we’d find it impossible.’’

Coverage of local cricket is unheard of and even the World Cup matches are on pay television; which amounts to a virtual blackout, as few can afford access to it.

Sport itself isn’t top-of-the-mind stuff in Kenya today. The traditional stronghold, athletics, is losing ground to Morocco and Algeria and there is now widespread disillusionment with sport.

Chris Tsuma, Kenya’s only representative in a press box overflowing with Indians, says the scene is so bad that ‘‘people don’t even question the failure of their sporting heroes. They are so fed up with officialdom that sport is no longer a passion.’’

Nevertheless, he acknowledged what today’s win would mean back home. ‘‘This will lift a nation which so desperately needs good news,’’ he says.

A semi-final place would put some money — $500,000 was the estimate — back into Kenyan cricket, which has so far survived on support from India. Exchange tours between the state sides — top teams like Baroda and Mumbai — and the Kenyan national team ‘‘have been very useful’’, says youngster Brijal Patel.

Yet feelings of gratitude are likely to be put aside before the Durban clash next Thursday.

‘‘We have defeated India before and the last game was quite close’’, Patil said today. ‘‘We aren’t overawed or anything like that.’’

No, their target probably isn’t another win. Their aim is to silence those critics who believe they’ve been trespassing on ‘elite’ territory. And they’ve taken their first big step towards that.