da betano casino： Of all the international captains currently tramping through world cricket,easily the most engaging is Kenya’s Maurice Odumbe
Peter Robinson19-Oct-2001Of all the international captains currently tramping through world cricket,easily the most engaging is Kenya’s Maurice Odumbe. Put it this way, if youwere planning to throw some steak on the braai and pass a few beers around,then the cricketer to call to lift the company would be Odumbe. Alwaysassuming, of course, that your name is not umpire Dave Orchard.Odumbe’s criticisms of Orchard earned him a two-match ban this week, a banto which the Kenyans responded by inflicting a 70-run defeat on India in oneof the biggest upsets in the modern game.After the Kenyans had been drawn and quartered by India in Bloemfontein lastFriday, Odumbe’s rueful response was that the practically only thing to doin the circumstances was to take his boys out on the town and get them drunkAfter Lance Klusener had taken five successive boundaries off him inKimberley last Sunday, he confessed that what he’d wanted to do at thatmoment was find somewhere to hide.There hasn’t been such frankness from a captain on these shores since KenRutherford described his New Zealand team as a “bunch of social retards” inthe wake of a surprise victory over South Africa at the Wanderers. “And,” headded, “I’m off to join them.”It was Rutherford, of course, who also declared that New Zealand cricket had”corned the turner” after an equally surprising win against Pakistan.Rutherford had his farewell do in Johannesburg this week before takinghimself back off to his native land. Go well, Ruds.To get back to Odumbe, though, what appeals as much as anything else abouthim is that even in the aftermath of humiliation, he’s still aware that onlya fortunate few are privileged to make a living from playing cricket.Compared to a small core within the South African camp who seem determinedto match England in the prima donna stakes, the Kenyans are a breath offresh air.More so now, after Wednesday’s shock result. The problem, however, in thepost- Hansiegate age, is that you’re never quite sure what to make of upsetslike this. If Sachin Tendulkar, the best batsman in the world, struggles for20 balls to make just 3, then is he just having a bad day at the office orare more sinister forces at work.Which is not to suggest that the Indians tanked it, simply that whateverHansie Cronje believes, his activities still cast a dark shadow over thegame. Interestingly, it is understood that members of the InternationalCricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit were around Port Elizabeth onWednesday. The ACU has been a little cagey about this which, in some ways,is surprising. Surely, if the ACU is tasked with policing cricket andguarding against corruption, one of the most effective ways of achievingthis would be to let it be known that you’re around and you’ve got yourears close to the ground.The other fascinating point to emerge after Wednesday’s match – even thoughit has been strenuously denied – is that discussions were apparently heldabout Kenya’s continuing participation in the tournament. In Bloemfonteinlast week only a couple of hundred spectators turned out to watch Indiatrounce Kenya and some people started to wonder whether their presence inthe Standard Bank One-Day Series wasn’t undermining the whole tournament.In the event Kenya stayed on and gave cricket in South Africa what shouldprove to be one of the best nights of the summer. The question, though,still remains: are triangular tournaments fatally flawed if one of the teamsis demonstrably weaker than the other two? The answer in most cases is yes,but Kenya did themselves, and the series, an enormous favour by cashing inon what was a woefully inept Indian effort.The result, almost certainly, will not affect the tournament as a whole.South Africa and India, you can bet on this, will be in the final atKingsmead next Friday. But before then South Africa play Kenya at Newlandson Monday and if Cape Town manages to shrug off Currie Cup fever (or aCurrie Cup hangover, whichever applies after this weekend) then there couldbe a selloutWhich is exactly what this series needs and, let’s not be coy about this,which is exactly what South African cricket needs just at the moment.