Maurice Odumbe quits as Kenya captain

Maurice Odumbe has resigned as Kenya captain ahead of the ICC Six Nations Challenge in Namibia because he wants to spend more time with his pregnant wife, officials said on Wednesday.

Despite the resignation, Odumbe will still play in the ICC tournament which starts on Sunday.

"We have accepted Odumbe's resignation with regret but he retains his place in the national team," Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) selection chief Asif Padamshi told Reuters.

Batsman Steve Tikolo, who was Odumbe's deputy, has been appointed as the new captain, with medium pace bowler Thomas Odoyo as vice captain.

Odumbe sent his resignation letter to KCA on March 28, saying he wanted more time with his wife Katherine, who is expecting their first child in May.

Odumbe took over the captaincy in 1996 and led Kenya to a sensational World Cup victory over the mighty West Indies in the Indian sub-continent.

He was briefly replaced by Aasif Karim, who captained Kenya during the 1999 World Cup in England.

The ICC tournament also features Namibia, the Netherlands, Canada, Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe A.

:Kenyan Steve Tikolo, Thomas Odoyo, Ravindu Shah, Kennedy Otieno, Maurice Odumbe, Hitesh Modi, Martin Suji, Collins Obuya, Joseph Angara, Peter Ochieng, David Obuya, Maurice Ouma, Alfred Luseno and Jadavji Bhimji.

Mail Cricket Editor