Category Archives: Opinion

If you’ve followed this week’s sports pages and talk shows on TV closely, it would appear as if Nepali cricket is about to change. The scenes are changing and changing fast. We are about to see the departmental teams (Police Club and Armed Police Force) in cricket. There are now 8 cricketing regions, up from existing 6. Not much needs to be said about the departmental teams and their contribution to Nepali sport. And to everybody’s excitement, APF have announced their intentions for the domestic league by signing the top names in Nepali cricket already.

Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) on Wednesday decided not to extend the contract of long-term coach Roy Luke Dias when it ends in December. A CAN board meeting also decided to expand the domestic cricket structure by adding two cricket development regions and departmental teams.

Armed Police Force (APF) has formed a cricket team with national cricketers to compete in domestic cricket tournaments. Those who joined the job at APF are national captain Paras Khadka, former national captain Paresh Lohani, Raju Basnet, Rom Shrestha, Sanjay Kumar Shrestha, Dipendra Chaudhari, Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Vesawkar, Subas Khakurel, Sunam Gautam, Prithu Baskota, Amrit Bhattarai, Ritesh Singh, Basanta Regmi, Sanjam Regmi, Shakti Gauchan and Mehboob Alam.

Mehboob Alam is already a golden record book of Nepali cricket; and the 29-year-old allrounder from Rajbiraj put yet another feather on his cap Wednesday by becoming the first Nepali bowler to claim 100 international one-day wickets. On Wednesday at Navile, Italy, when Argentine batsman Grant Dugmore edged Alam to Mahesh Chhetri, little did he know that he was a milestone wicket for the left-arm bowler. Mehboob went on to pick another wicket in his 63rd international match to take his total wicket tally to 101.

[Originally published at Asian Cricket Council website] Nepal’s Gyanendra Malla and Afghanistan’s Hasti Gul have achieved much for their countries on the playing field, now they’re trying to do more off the field. Both have started academies in their home towns, with an eye to creating their successors in the national teams of the future.

Shakti Gauchan, 26, became the first Nepali cricketer to complete 1,000 runs in international one-dayers during his half-century against Malaysia in the ACC Trophy Elite 2010 semifinal match at the Hubara, Kuwait. He now has 1,034 runs from 44 innings of 52 matches at an average of 27.95. His half-century on Wednesday was his fourth while he has also scored 106 not out against Italy. For a cricketer, who had not remained in the limelight, the achievement speaks more about his dedication and commitment to cricket.

Year 2009 was a year that would be remembered for the failures more than success; Year 2010 is a crucial year that could become the best year of Nepali cricket – or the worst ever. Nepal began 2009 with splendid victory in the ACC U-17 Elite Cup – the only age-group tournament that the country had previously not won. Five victories in five matches at the home ground in front of thousands of cheering crowd was spectacular morale booster.

After almost 12 years of highly successful domestic and unexplainably fluctuating international cricket career, Raju Basnet has called it a day. At 30, Raju helped Region No 3 Kathmandu become the inaugural national Twenty20 champions and announced his retirement from national and international cricket.

Famous ‘Mulpani Cricket’ is beginning its second innings. Once presented as an ambitious cricket academy, Mulpani will soon become a cricket ground. Lack of financial resources has hampered the plan. The plain created out of hillocks was already being used for cattle grazing and driving practice. There were even encroachments in the land provided to Cricket Association of Nepal by National Sports Council. Bandula Warnapura, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) development manager, told this author pointing to people learning motorcycle, “at least people are learning something here.” He too was enthusiastic about the ground.

The simplicity of Binaya Raj Pandey matches cricket – the game of gentlemen. If compared, the relations between Pandey and cricket make a long list. Pandey is such a leader of cricket who drafted the first blueprint of Nepali cricket jokingly five decades ago. After traveling long road, he now plans the future of cricket seriously.

Even before the rays of sun touches the green grass of the Annapurna Stadium of Prithivi Narayan Campus, a group of visually impaired people gather for the cricket training.

As cricket continues to grow as sports and craze of people increases craze, the training centers in Kathmandu have started being filled with enthusiastic trainees dreaming of stardom.

The world champion in cricket is yet to be decided but the biggest winner of the World Cup 2007 has already been decided; and it’s neither Australia nor Sri Lanka, New Zealand or South Africa. One among these four will take the coveted trophy home, but for me and many, the biggest winner of the Caribbean festival is Ireland.

Sanath Jayasuriya is no new name to cricket. After rising to fame in 1996 World Cup, the Sri Lankan left-hander has been one of the best players in contemporary cricket. There are quite a few records in the name of Jayasuriya which make him a legend of the game.

“There is nothing impossible in the world.” As he said these words in front of a gathering of people most of whom couldn’t see him, he was greeted by thunderous applause. Those clapping either knew that the speaker had proved his words or were enthusiastic about what was coming next.

One of the greatest sport carnivals has begun! The world cup lunacy has already caught all over the world. The passion for the game is increasing in our country too. As always the ultimate question this time is, which team will be the world champion?

Australia versus Scotland! Will you watch this World Cup game? Most of the cricket fans, unless they want to enjoy some fireworks from the Aussie batsmen, won’t probably bother staying up late to watch the game.

An interview with the mastermind behind the ACC Award winning women’s cricket initiatitive – LB Chhetri. Chhetri, the former captain of Nepal and current Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) member, says he has been encouraged by the award.