01 October 2004	Friday	15 Shaban 1425

NAIROBI, Sept 30: Former Kenyan captain Steve Tikolo has warned that the future of the sport is bleak following the latest controversy involving the Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) and players.

The star batsman, who resigned the captaincy after the Champions Trophy in England early this month, is one of the nine senior players who have been dropped from the national team in the wake of the latest row over contracts.

Tikolo said the youthful side which has been selected to play Namibia in the ICC Intercontinental Cup match starting here on Friday would struggle to qualify for the semifinals in the United Arab Emirates in November.

Only four members of the senior team have been included in the side. Left-arm batsman Hitesh Modi will lead the largely inexperienced team against the Namibians who arrived in Nairobi on Thursday.

"They face a difficult task," Tikolo said. Having beaten Uganda, the third African country in the qualifiers by an innings and four runs last July, the team need to get 11.5 points against Namibia to qualify.

Tikolo said the players had rejected the KCA offer to extend the players' contracts, due to expire on Thursday, for another two months because they would not be sure about their future at the end of the year. "We need job security. We don't need to used for two months and thereafter we are dumped," he said. -AFP