Kenyan student Waters set for ultimate Aussie exam
Kenya batsman Seren Waters is set to face one of the toughest World Cup exam papers when the African strugglers take on champions Australia before he returns to student life.
The 20-year-old is reading human geography at Durham University, whose graduates include England captain Andrew Strauss,and is getting ready to hit the books once again.
"I've a year and a half left of my degree. I've missed a term to play in the World Cup, so I've a lot to catch up on," said Waters, who once hit almost 900 runs as a schoolboy in his final term at Cranleigh private school in England.
"I've got to take my exams in the middle of the (English) summer, so there's going to be a bit of work for me to do immediately when I return."
"Apart from that, I'm going to play for Durham University, but for this summer I don't have any immediate plans for Surrey (where he has played 2nd XI cricket)."
Kenya have lost all four of their matches at this World Cup, including a defeat by Canada, and on Sunday they will be up against Australia's formidable fast bowling trio of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson.
"A few games ago we played (Pakistan's) Shoaib Akhtar. He was the fastest bowler I've ever faced, and Shaun Tait is up there or arguably a bit quicker. It's going to be exciting.
"I don't think there is another attack in the world comparable to that," added Waters, who as a teenager made his best one-day international score of 74 against a South Africa side featuring pacemen Monde Zondeki and Albie Morkel.
"Australia have got three of the quickest bowlers in the world and they're coming one after the other, so there's no real respite."
"Facing Australia is going to be a big challenge, because three bowlers that are bowling about 150kph (93mph) consistently is something that none of us will have ever faced before."
This could be Kenya's last World Cup for some time, with the International Cricket Council set to reduce the number of teams at the 2015 edition from 14 to 10.
Waters said it was vital for the Africans' cricket-standing they turned in a vastly improved performance against Australia.
"The three Test nations (New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) we've played we haven't really come close to giving them a game, so we'd hope to give Australia a good game. Winning would be something you'd probably dream about.
"With the new format, coming down to 10 teams, qualification is not going to be easy. A lot of players are conscious of the fact that this could be the last chance we get to play in a World Cup. Hopefully that's not the case."
Even before he's taken guard, Waters is something of a scorecard eye-catcher thanks to his distinctive forename.
"Seren comes from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania," he explained.
"I also qualify for England. I have a current British passport because my dad was born in England but has lived in Kenya for 30 years now.
"Although I do qualify for many countries my loyalties very much lie with Kenya because that's where I've been brought up and lived for so many years."
