Why has Kenya stopped playing cricket? This is a question gaining currency in local and international circles. The scathing condemnation by our own cricket legend, spinner Asif Karim who opines that Kenyan cricket “is dead and buried”, says a lot.

From an associate superpower of International Cricket Council echelons and a heartbeat away from becoming a full member at the turn of the millennium, Kenya has fallen on self-inflicted hard times. Were Kenya’s exploits that include being a semi-finalist in the ICC World Cup in 2003 a flash in the pan?

Whatever happened to such stars as Mr Karim, Tom Tikolo, Maurice Odumbe and Thomas Odoyo?

No doubt, Kenya has got great talent. What it lacks is the will and desire to build and promote the game.

The game has been blighted by claims of corruption that surfaced in 2000. And since then, the level of the game has been getting dire.

Kenya has lost her clout as an associate powerhouse to such nations as Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and, yes, Afghanistan - of all places.

Even after rebranding, then Kenya Cricket Association to Cricket Kenya, little is seen to be happening to reverse the rot in the game.

Finishing third at the Quadrangular Tournament played at the Nairobi Gymkhana and Jeffreys grounds last week, shows how low the game has sunk. It was incredible that Kenya finished behind minnows Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Put into context, Kenya losing to Saudi Arabia and Qatar is like Harambee Stars beating the hell out of Brazil and Germany in football.

Kenya has descended from playing One Day International matches with Full Members of ICC to now struggling to beat emerging nations. An analysis of the problem points to bloated egos within the rank and file of Cricket Kenya to abject inertia to organise Cricket Leagues across the country.

It is time Cricket Kenya boss Jacky Janmohammed marshalled all the stakeholders and re-engineered the game that made us so proud a nation at the turn of the Millennium.