ICC Tournament Director Andrew Faichney hoped that the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 would be a fantastic event.
“We are very happy to be in Kathmandu to start and we believe it would be a fantastic event,” Fainchey said in a pre-event press conference.
“I have visited all three venues, and they have been prepared well,” he said adding that the weather is perfect for good cricket.”
“CAN has done all the preparation and they have undertook extensive work to prepare all venues for the event,” he added.
Answering to queries of media on security aspects, Fainchey said he believed there should be no problem.
CAN president Binaya Raj Pandey added that they have made better security measurement and added extra fencing at the TU Cricket Ground to stop fans from entering the ground after the games.
The event is scheduled to start on Saturday and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is scheduled to inaugurate the event on Friday evening.
Nepal Television (NTV) will broadcast matches played at the TU Cricket Ground live.
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The statement from ICC Tournament Director Andrew Faichney that he is satisfied with the preparations could be taken as a pride for Nepal. In this regard, Cricket Association of Nepal and other partners’ endeavour should be praised for having worked in tandem. The successful organisation of this tournament will throw open new vistas for upcoming ACC and ICC Cricket Tournaments. With its exotic locales and idyllic conditions bolstered with best of the 5-hotel accommodations, Nepal could become a destination of cricket tournaments in the same manner as Sharjah had become in earlier days. If Cricket Association of Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board, Sports Ministry and Private Sector could come together and formulate some cricket-tourism programme, I see no reason why we cannot make cricket-tourism a big success in this part of the world. This would also serve to Nepal Tourism Year 2011 tremendously. At a time, when 20-Twenty Cricket has become a rage, we could have a cricket tournament similar to IPL (20-Twenty Cricket). Initially, we could invite some second-tier teams from neighbouring test playing countries namely – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other non-test playing countries as desired by the host country. Besides, the upcoming Pokhara venue could become one of the enviable places for cricketers to play cricket for its poetic and mesmerising scenic beauty it has to offer to its avid nature lovers. Just imagine – cricket being played in a roaring capacity crowd juxtaposed with a sight of people enjoying their ride on boats in a Phewa Lake and a backdrop of ever-glistening silvery-white Fishtail Mountain…. Interestingly, when a bloke like Sheikh Abdul Rahman could make cricket a great success in a desert like Sharjah, Nepal is a far better place for the game of cricket to be played with its exotic locales. But, of course, we will have to have best of the sophisticated amenities and facilities for the players, officials, media, etc. at the designated venues.
I hope the concerned authorities will look into this dream project and if it is realized; the country could gain immensely.