The 42-year-old Steve Tikolo who was in Bermuda coaching Uganda during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Division III World Cricket League has come out of international retirement after being recalled to the Kenya squad for the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in the UAE more than two-and-a-half years after he last played for the country.
Tikolo's previous appearance came in the 2011 World Cup, when he faced Zimbabwe in Kolkata, and at the time he said that was the end of his international career that included 134 ODIs and 11 Twenty20’s. Since then he has only appeared in a joint Kenya-Uganda domestic structure for Rwenzori Warriors where he has also been coaching.
However, in a further sign of the regression in Kenya cricket, he has been brought back into the fold alongside 35-year-old Thomas Odoyo who also previously played an international during the last World Cup and has not played a Twenty20 international since 2008.
Both Tikolo and Odoyo made their debuts at the 1996 World Cup during which Kenya famously beat West Indies. They also took part in the 1999 event in England then helped Kenya to the high point of their cricket history when they reached the Semi-Finals of the 2003 tournament in South Africa.
Since then, however, the organization and success of the sport has plummeted despite qualification for the next two World Cups.
Kenya have only qualified for one World Twenty20 tournament, the inaugural competition in South Africa during 2007. Last month they registered the lowest Twenty20 international total of 56 when they were skittled by Afghanistan in Sharjah. Their preparation for the Qualifiers will include a seven-match series in Sri Lanka against the countries A team which includes Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Perera, and Jeevan Mendis.
Sixteen teams who will compete in the Qualifiers - which will be held from November 15th – 30th in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah - with six places at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh up for grabs.
Other interesting names include David Hemp, the former Glamorgan and Warwickshire batsman who will continue to turn out for Bermuda, the former England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones who lines up for Papua New Guinea and Middlesex allrounder Gareth Berg in the Italy squad.
Jamie Atkinson, the Hong Kong captain, also played a match for Warwickshire at the end of the English season after the county suffered an injury crisis among their wicketkeepers. Another familiar name from English cricket who will be around the event is Paul Collingwood who will act as Scotland's assistant coach.
Meanwhile, the USA squad features a pair of former West Indies internationals in captain Neil McGarrell, the left-arm spinner who played four Tests, and seamer Adam Sanford who appeared 11 times between 2002 and 2004.
