Kenyan stalwarts dropped from team

London: Kenya omitted three stalwarts from the previous three World Cups when they picked their 15-man squad for next month's tournament in the Caribbean.

Wicketkeeper/opening batsman Kennedy Otieno, middle order batsman Hitesh Modi and paceman Martin Suji were left out when Cricket Kenya announced its squad yesterday. The trio featured in the famous World Cup win over West Indies in India in 1996, one of the biggest victories in Kenya's history.

Suji is battling with a serious knee injury while Otieno and Modi missed a training camp last month without explanation.

Coach Roger Harper said at the time that their absences would cost the pair their World Cup places.

Cricket Kenya chief executive Tom Tikolo said the players would leave on March 1.

The squad: Steve Tikolo (captain), Thomas Odoyo (vice-captain), Ravindu Shah, Tanmay Mishra, Collins Obuya, Peter Ongondo, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Maurice Ouma, Malhar Patel, Hiren Varaiya, David Obuya (wicketkeeper), Rajesh Bhudia, Jimmy Kamande, Tony Suji and Lameck Onyango.