Paras Khadka, 23, was named the national captain on November 11 for the upcoming ACC Twenty20 Elite Cup. The eighth national captain shared his feeling and opinions with Cricket Nepal in an interview:
Congratulations for being named the captain. How do you feel?
Thank you. One can obviously feel excited at this time. It´s a great privilege but with it comes great responsibility.
Was becoming the national captain your dream?
When I started playing I hardly knew I would make it this far. But, with time, hard work, determination and luck on my side I have managed to come this far.
To play for the country is the best feeling ever. I just wanted to play cricket for my country and if captaincy comes my way, it´s a great privilege but like I said with it comes tremendous responsibility. So, I never imagined I would be a captain of the national team. It´s a dream and it will only be worth something if we as a country win major tournaments.
What is your aim as the captain?
To lead from the front. To establish a cricket culture in our country where the passion is growing everyday, I want to see our cricket players get more than what they´re getting at present. We have amazing talents and just need the right exposure.
You became captain at a time when the team is lagging behind due to losses in crunch matches. Do you think your captaincy will be catalyst for the victories?
I want the team to play as a unit, forget everything once we enter the field and only concentrate on wining and give 100 %. A captain is only as good as his players to win.
We have to win important matches and, as players, all of us know it. What happened in the past is something we don´t want to focus too much on. We have to look forward, learn from our mistakes and not repeat them.
What could be the areas you will be looking to work on to better the results?
We have been playing well in tournaments but just that odd crucial game that we have been losing. May be, it´s a mental thing that we need to focus more than anything else.
You will be guiding a team that has players senior to you and two former national captains. Do you feel pressure?
I have been playing for the senior team for the past 5 years. We are all friends and brothers as a unit. For all of us, the main concern is how to make winning a habit. It doesn´t matter who´s who. It all comes down to those 11 players on the particular day and playing for the country.
What kind of support would you expect from them?
I have the support of all the players. I just want them to take pride in playing for the country. Now, it´s time to show what talent there is in the Nepali cricket.
Your first assignment will be ACC Twenty20 Elite Cup. What results you expect from the event?
It´s a 20-20 format and it´s very unpredictable as we all know. We as players are taking it one match at a time. All the teams are well prepared and so are we. It´s more about going and performing at this stage of our careers.
Which nations you see as tough opponents for Nepal? Why?
The Middle East countries have those Indian n Pakistani players. We can expect a tough fight from them but like I said 20-20 is an exciting and unpredictable format. It´s all about who can handle the pressure and we are geared up for this event.
Someday, you will retire as the national captain, what legacy you want to leave as a captain for people to remember you?
I just want to be remembered as someone who led from the front, who played his heart and soul for the country and gave his bloody best every time. Hopefully, have a closet full of trophies and establish a cricket culture where youngsters can jell in any day and find that hunger and passion to do well for the country.
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First of all, I would like to congratulate Paras for taking the lead for Nepali Cricket. I wish him all the best and I have a lot of expectation from him as a Nepali Cricket Lover. Hoping to see Nepal with a title cup this time under new management with the help of every players. Cricket is a game of Team not a single player. Sachin Tendulkar is considered as the best player but even he was unable to win against Australia even after scoring 175 out of 347 and his team still fell short of 3 runs to win the game. What I mean from this example, every player has the same responsibility in order to win the game.
Kindly
Mukesh Jha (USA)
720-352-7716
first of all thanks to paras khadka for being new national caption . we are looking forwards to get well result playing under him. plz do something for nepali cricket
Congratulations Paras Khadka and best of luck in every step you tread on for the success of Nepali cricket. I like your positive attitude and exuberance displayed in taking up the responsibility of captaincy. The upcoming ACC Twenty-20 Cricket Tournament is very important one for Nepal as far as participation in next XVI Asiad to be held in 2010 in Guangzhou, China is concerned. As only the top 3 teams of ACC Twenty-20 Cricket Tournament would be qualified in XVI Asiad, you blokes have to pull up your socks and play a high-level cricket this time around. There is no doubt you blokes are highly talented and now it is high time you did justice to your talent by showcasing it at the international games. To pep up your adrenaline and be in tune for the games, the upcoming practice matches in New Delhi, India should be a good outing. We are proud to have you as a Skipper of the senior side and expect, as you said, to lead from the part (You may draw inspiration from Aussie Steve Waugh & Ricky Pointing) and bring forth joy of triumphs, which have been elusive for Senior team….
Yashashi Bhava, Bijayi Bhava – Hamra Parakrami Yoddhaharu……………..
Lets see, what the new captain has in store. There were rumors that he was about to leave the country due to his uncertain future. He sounds really patriotic and hopefully will inject that in other players too. I want to see Nepal winning tournaments, coz among the associates Nepal is only team without “imported” players. Best of Luck !!!
Good luck buddy. Be cool in the field and think right. After all if something goes wrong, you will be blamed for it as others got blamed in the past. Once you are in the field, you are in charge and you make the decision. Listen to your self. Look what we are lacking.
Rem, our openers have not been that great but tell them to play will free mind and play their shots. If they can blast in the beginning, we are all set. Keeping wickets in hand and thinking that we will score later will not work. That is 1950 not 2009.
Good luck once again and give me regards to all the players. I am always with you guys no matter what.
Best of luck paras,
We are with u paras, do something for nepal, win this cup for all cricket crazy nepalese, binod and all senior players most fully coop with new captain.
we know u have lots of cricket on u, so blast it.
Good lucks
phursangey sherpa
Dubai
Just 23 but Paras Khadka has reached a very important mile stone in his young sparkling career. After much speculation and suspense,the national selectors passed the baton to him. He replaces veteran Binod Das as skipper of the national team for the upcoming ACC Twenty-20 Elite Cup to be held in Sharjah, UAE, which to me is a positive move.
Unquestionably, the burden and pressure of captaincy is enormous for anyone whether he is a seasoned stalwart or not. What ultimately matters most is the skipper’s ability to led the team by example regardless of the situation.
It is my understanding that the exciting all rounder was awarded the captaincy based on his merits as a player and leadership qualities. As captain of the national youth teams he did learn the art of leadership. Nonetheless, it is totally a different ball game when it comes to taking charge of the senior national team.
Now that he is the captain of the ship it is imperative that every member of the team throw their weight behind him. So what if to some he was the wrong pick for the position. It is a done deal and I doubt the decision would be reversed, not until the conclusion of the championship . The matter of fact is that this is no time for bickering and squabbling if it does exist..
Despite abundance of talent our national team has not quite clicked and under performed, over the years. On numerous occasions we have squandered crunch and crucial matches that should have been won comfortably.
In my assessment there are important components amiss in the team, and hopefully coach Dias and company have successfully addressed it. The UAE tourney renders us a golden opportunity to rebound and show to the world that we are on the come back trail.
The two warm up matches we lost in New Delhi proves that we have a long way to go. Though the twenty 20 version is so unpredictable, nevertheless, it is important that we play consistently with a positive frame of mind to capture glory..
Lastly my best wishes to the new skipper and the team.
congrats Paras..u deserve it