Maurice Odumbe

Maurice Odumbe Biography

Maurice Odumbe was Kenya’s first international captain. Had he played for any other country, he would have become a competent limited-overs all-rounder. For starters, Odumbe received a Man of the Match award in each of the three World Cups he played in.

In 1996, he strangled the West Indian middle-order and finished with 10-3-15-3 as Kenya won that historic match by bowling West Indies out for 93.

In 1999, he ended up on the losing side against Sri Lanka, but his 95-ball 82 was definitely the innings of the match.

And in 2003 he obliterated Bangladesh, first with a 46-ball unbeaten 52, then with 4 for 38. He played a stellar role in Kenya’s success story in that edition, with 211 runs at 42 and 9 wickets at 25.

There were other matches too. In 1998 against India, for example, he scored 83 with 5 sixes before taking 3 for 14. And in another losing effort, this time against Australia in 2002, he got 55 and had figures of 10-1-28-0.

A sturdy middle-order batsman, Odumbe could switch gears whenever needed. His off-breaks did not turn the proverbial mile, but he could bowl on a particular line and length for hours.

His numbers, 1,409 runs at 26 and an economy rate of 4.84, do not make splendid reading. In matches Kenya won, however, he averaged 62 with bat and 18 with ball — phenomenal numbers by any standards.

In First-Class cricket, mostly for Kenya, he averaged 34 with bat and 20 with ball. When Kenya were invited for the 2003-04 Carib Beer Cup, he took 5 for 11 and 5 for 32 against West Indies B and scored 207 against Leeward Islands.

Unfortunately, following ICC investigations, Odumbe was accused of match-fixing in 2004 and was banned for five years. He was forty when the ban was lifted. Two years before that he stood in the Kenyan General Election.

His younger brother Edward ‘Tito’ also played alongside him, even in the 1996 World Cup. Two other brothers, Martin and B Odumbe, played ICC Trophy for Kenya. Kenneth, a fifth brother, also represented Kenya once.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Maurice Odumbe Batting & Fielding Averages

Career

Avg

100s

50s

Test

ODIs

T20s

World Cup

Maurice Odumbe Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
ODIs	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	4/38	--