Eight uncapped players in Kenya squad

Kenya have named eight uncapped players in their 30-man provisional squad for the 2011 World Cup - Duncan Allan, Runish Gudhka, Irfan Karim, Karan Kaul, Peter Kituku, Lucas Oluoch, Kennedy Owino and Vinit Shikotra. The squad, which will be pruned to 15 by January 19, also features two of their most experienced players, Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo, who first played for Kenya in the 1996 World Cup, also in the subcontinent.

Kenya have had a disappointing year in ODIs, winning three and losing eight. However, they've had some success of late, winning a three-match series against Afghanistan 2-1 in Nairobi, and sweeping UAE 4-0 in a limited-overs rubber, also at home.

A player strike, led by Tikolo among others, had rocked Kenya cricket earlier in the year and the former captain had walked out on the team and indicated he would not play international cricket again. But he made himself available for the 2011 World Cup and, at 39, remains a key member of the side. 

In their most recent ODI assignment, Kenya were led by allrounder Jimmy Kamande. His team will play West Indies and Netherlands in the lead-up to the World Cup. 

"I am very pleased with the squad we have been able to name, we have a good blend of experienced players and some very exciting youngsters who have emerged over the last 12 months," Kenya coach Eldine Baptiste said. "There is still time for any one of these 30 players to force his way into the final 15-man squad that will travel to the World Cup. 

"Maybe a year ago we would have struggled to find 30 names that were worthy of consideration for a world event but what is really encouraging is how many young players have come through our A team and Under-19 squad in the last year and there are quite a few more who were unlucky not to make this list." 

Preliminary squad: Ragheb Aga, Duncan Allan, Runish Gudhka, Jimmy Kamande, Irfan Karim, Karan Kaul, Irfan Karim, Peter Kituku, Alfred Luseno, Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Nelson Odhiambo, Thomas Odoyo, Lucas Oluoch, Peter Ongondo, Joseph Onyango, Lameck Onyango, Elijah Otieno, Morris Ouma, Kennedy Owino, Rakep Patel, Vinit Shikotra, Steve Tikolo, Hiren Varaiya, Seren Waters, Dominic Wesonga.

India need a settled side to win World Cup - Kapil

Kapil Dev has said MS Dhoni's team has the ability to win the World Cup in 2011 but will have to ensure that it finds a settled combination and keep its bowlers free of injuries. In an exclusive interview with ESPNcricinfo, Kapil, who was captain when India won the World Cup in 1983, said too many changes taking place before the World Cup could harm the team's thinking. 

"They have maturity, ruthlessness, they have talent and ability," he said of the team, but added, "too many injuries are taking place." Their key focus, he said, should be on improving fielding and running between wickets. 

One reason for the bowlers' frequent injuries was, he felt, that their training was not suited for their skill. Kapil said he spent time through his 15-year career working on his legs. "The gym is good enough for batsmen and other kinds of bowlers. But for the fast bowler, someone who has to bowl day in and day out , around 10 to 20 overs, you need strong legs.

"These boys should spend a lot of time on running, like a marathon. Your body should be tuned to that." Injuries to fast bowlers, Kapil said, happen "when you have more muscle on top and your legs cannot support them."

Kapil, India's most successful fast bowler with 434 Test wickets, said he focussed on his running during the off-season - then pointed out that nowadays there is barely an off season for cricketers. It was the BCCI's responsibility, he said, to prevent cricketers from burning out - cricketers themselves were unlikely to take that call due to the financial benefits of a career in the game. "The boys walk into the team and they perform well in the first year. Then they play all kinds of cricket. They have Test cricket, they have Twenty20, they have one-day cricket … the pressure is so much, and the young boys don't want to lose the money because they have struggled so much, almost 6-7 years to come to this level. 

"They don't want to miss a penny wherever they get a chance, so they don't want to miss matches... If you tell a fast bowler 'you take rest and don't make money', I think mentally no sportsman will be ready for that. So it's up to the administration to see how much cricket our boys play."

The recent increase in an Indian cricketer's workload has come from the IPL. Kapil, who was associated with the rival, unauthorised Indian Cricket League, said cricketers need to have more control over the IPL. "Definitely, without any doubt [there is a need for cricketers to have more control]. And not just be there on the board, but cricketers have to take the front seat." That, he said, was how he saw his role in the ICL. 

He said he did not regret being a part of the ICL. "No, I think it was absolutely correct because the ICL has given the cricketers a push. If the IPL has come today, it's a compliment to the ICL, so it's not something wrong." 

One of the biggest advantages of the new leagues was the financial benefits they gave to players. "Earlier there were only 10-12 cricketers in India who used to make money; today 300-500 cricketers can make a living out of cricket. I am happy something new began and those types of leagues are going to come up in the country." 

In the aftermath of the spot-fixing controversy, Kapil said one way of preventing the rise of the player-bookie nexus was to ensure younger players were mentored and advised by their seniors. "You need good people to handle them (young players) and keep talking to them... They need more advice about becoming true cricketers, basically from senior cricketers who take pride to play for the country."