There will be points to prove for both Bermuda and Kenya as they enter tomorrow’s start of their four-day Intercontinental Cup clash at Nairobi’s Gymkhana ground.

Thrashed by hosts Canada by nine wickets in their last cup outing in August, which came on the heels of two heavy defeats at the hands of a weakened Zimbabwe side in Trinidad, Bermuda followed up with success in the regional Americas Cup tournament.

Yet the rest of the cricket world remain far from convinced over their ability to be competitive at next year’s World Cup.

However, if Bermuda have endured more downs than ups in their preparation for the game’s biggest spectacle, then they need only to look at tomorrow’s opponents to realise they’re not alone.

Cricket in Kenya, much like in Bermuda, has been dogged by off-field controversies that have left the national team’s stunning run to the World Cup semi-finals just three years ago a distant memory.

Compounded by the five-year ban handed to star allrounder Maurice Odumbe following allegations of match-fixing, bitter infighting within the sport’s administration has resulted in a sharp decline in performance.

Never was that more evident than in last month’s 3-0 whitewash by Bangladesh on the same Gymkhana pitch that will host tomorrow’s game.

That in turn followed a 25-run defeat to Canada in the Intercontinental Cup and a draw with Holland in the same competition.

The loss of Odumbe — remembered by Bermuda for the majestic 150 he struck during a record partnership with current skipper Steve Tikolo at the 1994 ICC Trophy — has been followed by the departure of other senior players.

But while veteran Tikolo remains, the team, according to a new Kenya administration, are very much in the throes of transition with few believing they can emulate their miraculous showing at the 2003 World Cup.

Tikolo, the country’s longest serving international with 77 appearances under his belt and 2,081 runs at an average of 28.90 — will be relied upon heavily as the team attempt to get back on track, although he too has off-field issues which might affect his concentration at the start of tomorrow’s match.

Watching Bermuda’s players during a net practice at the Ruaraka Sports Club on the outskirts of Nairobi yesterday morning, the hard-hitting batsman was suddenly summoned to a nearby hospital where his new-born child and wife remain following a premature birth three weeks ago.

Team-mate David Obuya, an opener who missed all three matches against Bangladesh but has been recalled for the four-day game against Bermuda and the following ODIs, was also among those spying on tomorrow’s opponents.

He acknowledged the forthcoming series was crucial as Kenya attempted to rebuild its reputation as the sport’s leading ICC Associate nation.

“I think now we have an opportunity to build a team for the future,” said Obuya, who made his debut five years ago, featured in the last World Cup and has scored 317 runs in 29 matches for a modest 11.74 average.

“We now have more young players and I believe we are beginning to shape up well for the World Cup although our recent results haven’t been good.

“I don’t think we should read too much into the Bangladesh series because they have been playing a lot and have become a very good team, whereas leading up to those matches we didn’t have time to train.

“Now the players have been together for more than three months. We are all professionals and we are beginning to see some improvement.

“We’ve had to work very hard but I believe we’re getting back to the standard which we had three years ago.”

A new Cricket Kenya board is beginning to make progress, clearing much of the wreckage it claims it inherited.

But according to cricket observers here in Nairobi, followers of the game are still seeking evidence that their national team is back on track and as such the games against Bermuda will be viewed with considerable significance.