Steve Tikolo still remembers it well. After Kenyas defeat in the semi-final of the 2003 World Cup, Michael Holding told me that the ICC had earmarked Kenya to be the next Test-playing country, he said recently. It would have been a glorious reward for Kenyas golden generation, a side that announced themselves to the world when they bundled out West Indies for 93 in the 1996 World Cup, and beat India in two ODIs before the glories of 2003.It never happened. Instead, Kenya were doomed to be the Icarus of Associate cricket, flying closer than anyone else to the sun and then falling to oblivion.Just when they needed help most, they were shunned by the myopia of the Full Members: Kenya played only five ODIs against Test nations from the 2003 World Cup to the end of 2005. Yet theirs was a self-imposed demise too.Our cricket management let us down big time, Tikolo reflected, calling corruption an open secret. The malaise extended to the team: Maurice Odumbe was banned for five years after being found guilty of associating with a known bookmaker.With a tiny playing base, and a poorly run team, Kenya collapsed. They made little impact at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, and by 2013 they were forced to summon Tikolo, their one-time batting titan, out of retirement at the age of 42. Damningly, he was still among Kenyas best players when they lost ODI status in early 2014. Failure to qualify for the current edition of the Intercontinental Cup, the ICCs first-class competition for the top eight Associates, soon followed. Years of High Performance Programme seemed to have left no legacy at all - either on the team or the infrastructure in Kenya.Now, though, there is a little hope. On Friday the Nairobi Gymkhana ground hosts Kenyas opening match against Hong Kong in the World Cricket League Championship. It will be Kenyas first home game in an ICC-run tournament for four years and, it is hoped, a seminal point in the nations cricketing recovery.There is palpable excitement with cricket returning, says Rakep Patel, the skipper. He sees the matches as an opportunity to change the narrative around Kenyan cricket. Its been all doom and gloom in recent times with stories that Kenya cricket is dead.Much has been said about how Pakistan have been impeded by not being able to play a home Test since 2009, but consider the magnitude of Kenyas challenge: trying to grow a niche sport in the country without being able to play at home. That is why Cricket Kenya has worked with the government and security forces to bring international cricket back to the country. Perhaps the governments commitment represents renewed interest in helping what was once the nations most successful sports team.The return home comes at a time when there are tentative signs of the team improving too. They are definitely a team and country on the up, says Andy Hobbs, the ICCs acting Head of Global Development.Kenya performed respectably in the World T20 qualifiers last year, winning three of their five completed games. In the World Cricket League Championship, they have won three of their six games, including beating Namibia away twice last year. No one would pretend these results are remotely spectacular, but at least there is the sense that Kenya have halted their descent. And these results have been achieved with a team far younger than the one that lost ODI status two years ago.Irfan Karim, the teams leading batsman, who had a successful stint for Leicestershire 2nd XI last year, says that the team must improve their mental strength and game awareness.There are glimpses that youth development has improved, as Cricket Kenya has piloted programmes to grow the sport beyond its heartlands in Mombasa and Nairobi. The board is working on improving the education of coaches. In December, a new Under-19 tournament will launch, putting the most talented youngsters into three teams. According to the ICC census, there are now 3495 junior players in the country, up from 1100 in 2009.But, as ever with ICC census figures, some are sceptical. Three thousand five hundred youngsters? Its a joke, says Aasif Karim. If we had 5% of those figures, I would be happy. Those figures are totally fabricated.His son Irfan is rather more diplomatic. Better facilities, academies and higher-qualified coaches need to be put in place for there to be progress, he says. Increasing participation levels is not as easy as it sounds. Poverty is a problem in Kenya and some families are more focused on where their next meal is coming from. Without the basic needs fulfilled, cricket or sport becomes a non-existent thought. This is where the government needs to intervene and provide support in whatever way possible.Cricket Kenya also urgently needs to improve the domestic structure. Kenyas golden team learned the game playing alongside the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar, Kiran More, Sandeep Patil and Mark Ramprakash for clubs in Nairobi. Now, club cricket standards are very low, laments Aasif Karim. There may be only five quality matches a year. At times, club teams even fail to raise 11 players.On the bright side, Cricket Kenya is now run far better than in the years after 2003. Ten years ago their focus was very much on the national team, whereas now theres a very strong focus on the whole cricket system - on education, domestic leagues, grassroots, development and womens cricket, Hobbs reflects. Theyve got some really good people in there, and theres not been the underlying challenges there have been in the past.Jackie Janmohamed, the chairperson of Cricket Kenya and an eminent lawyer, has helped to improve governance of the game, yet her work remains unfinished. The system is corrupt. It needs a complete jolt, says Aasif Karim. The foundations are non-existent. Its time Kenyan cricket must accept that we are really down. We keep on denying it. Karim rues how Tom Tikolo, who resigned as Cricket Kenya chief executive in 2009 after $10,000 in cash was left unaccounted for, has returned to the game, as Chairman of Nairobi Provincial Association.At least administrators are now organising far more matches outside the ICC structure, even if the opposition are a salutary reminder of how far Kenya have fallen. They won a quadrangular series in September, albeit against Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Uganda, and the A side is about to embark on a quadrangular series in Uganda.Kenya have also benefited from Cricket South Africa taking a more active role developing the game in the continent. The national side performed reasonably in both their appearances in the Africa T20 Cup, winning one of their three games in 2015 and 2016.At a time when Afghanistan and Ireland can glimpse a tantalising future, Kenyan ambitions are altogether more modest. Theyre a country of huge potential, as they showed in 2003, says Hobbs. If they continue to remain stable off the pitch I see no reason why they couldnt be regularly in the top echelons of Associate cricket, in the top four.After the halycon age of 1996 to 2003, becoming a leading Associate side in ODIs once again, and regularly qualifying for the World T20, hardly sounds like a lofty aspiration. But after all that Kenyan cricket has been through since, it would be a triumph. Perhaps Associate crickets Icarus might yet come back to life. Nike Air Jordan UK Outlet . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Cheap Air Jordan UK For Sale . 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Wholesale Air Jordan UK Free Shipping . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle.Salford owner Marwan Koukash will give life bans to anyone found to have been involved in the trouble that marred the end of his sides win at Huddersfield on Monday. Shortly after the Devils had beaten the Giants 26-24, photographs emerged on social media of some of Salfords players appearing to fight some of their own supporters in the away end of the ground.Pictures on Twitter showed winger Justin Carney and centre Junior Sau involved in heated exchanges, with one particular photo showing New Zealander Sau appearing to restrain a fan on the ground. The RFL have announced a full investigation into the incident with chief executive Nigel Wood saying: We do not condone violence of any kind and will ensure that anyone found to have acted improperly is dealt with accordingly.Koukash claims a child was hospitalised during the incident and although Salford issued a statement of apology, the owner has promised the strongest possible action against anyone found to have caused trouble. The minority who caused the trouble, who I called thugs, will not be associated with our club or the sport. We will make sure they never attend a rugby league game again. Marwan Koukash We have launched an immediate investigation into what happened, Koukash told Sky Sports News HQ. We are waiting for the CCTV footage from Huddersfield to understand what has happened and to identify those who are involved and isolate them from our sport altogether.We have asked for the CCTV from Huddersfield, Koukash said in an interview with talkSPORT. The minority who caused the trouble, who I called thugs, will not be associated with our club or the sport. We will make sure they never attend a rugby league game again.Koukash added that the daughter of a member of the clubs coaching staff had to be checked over in hospital after the fracas, and defended the actions of Carney and Sau.I thing what might have made things a lot worse than what they were is the fact that 2 of our plaers jumped into the crowd. If id have been there myself and seen my kids or family in distress and needing my help, obviously I would jump in. and thats exactly what has happened. Justin Carney and Julian Sale? Have done nothing more than anybody else would do.Koukash added: If I had been there myself, and had seen my kids or my family in distress and needing my help, obviously I would jump in, and that is exactly what happened.Justin Carney and Junior Sau have done nothing more than anybody else would do.He added: You go towards your fans at the end of the game to acknowledge their support and when you see your family are there and need your help, regardless of whether youre a policeman or a player, the human instinct is to jump in and help them out.Ive spoken to them and I accept what theyve done and what theyve done is what every other human would do, regardless of what their position is.The players want to go over to the away fans at the end of the game, and thats when some of the trouble started. Their families were in distress and needed their help - you dont expect them just to stay on the pitch and do nothing. Salford players Justin Carney and Junior Sau stepped in to stop fans fighting in the stands following their match at Huddersfield A statement from Huddersfield confirmed a flare had been let off in the Salford end just before the end of the game.ddddddddddddAt 1638 a flare was ignited by a Salford fan in the away stand. Neither the fan who ignited it, nor the fan who subsequently threw it towards the playing surface, were identified. The flare was removed from the playing surface by stewards.Two Salford fans were then ejected from the playing surface and pitch-side at the end of the game for pitch encroachment.Following this an incident occurred in the away stand. We are expecting the RFL to request an investigation into the incident involving some of the Salford players and Salford fans post match and we will co-operate fully with this. Highlights from the First Utility Super League as Huddersfield took on Salford at the John Smiths Stadium West Yorkshire Police said on Tuesday afternoon that no crimes had yet been reported and no arrests made. West Yorkshire Police were not in attendance at the fixture but were called at 4.53pm once the match had finished, said Inspector Jon Dunkerley. Officers attended and assisted stewards in a crowd control situation outside the ground. No crimes have so far been reported and no arrests made.We have since spoken to the club who are working closely with the Rugby League and we are reviewing CCTV footage of the incident. Also See: Reds rescue kids from brawl WATCH: Violence mars Salford win WATCH: Baz and Tezs big hits! WATCH: Top five tries Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '