This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
July 31, 2019
The Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association's (NPCA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been cancelled, dealing a blow to the association's efforts to revitalize the sport.
The decision to call off the AGM was made by NPCA secretary Charles Nyaberi, who cited the need to present the newly drafted Cricket Kenya (CK) constitution to stakeholders for approval.
However, the move has been met with skepticism by affiliated clubs, which are competing in an Invitational Twenty20 league sponsored by Hirani Telcoms.
One club member, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed the clubs' disinterest in NPCA's politics, stating, “We are not interested in politics. Let NPCA do their politics as we keep our boys busy playing the game.”
The clubs' decision to distance themselves from NPCA comes as the association struggles to attract sponsors, with the standard of the game having fallen significantly since the 1990s.
At its peak in the 1990s, the NPCA league was a thriving competition, with former Kenya national team captain Steve Tikolo setting a batting record of 1,950 runs in 1995.
Meanwhile, Cricket Kenya's executive committee, which took office in May, has suspended operations and sent employees and coaches on indefinite unpaid leave, further exacerbating the crisis in the sport.
