BY PURUSHOTTAM KATTEL: The Nepali cricket team led by veteran allrounder Raju Khadka proved their potentials in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy booking the Asia Cup Cricket Championship berth.
Nepal entered the final of the championship but failed to clear the last hurdle as they went down by 6 wickets at the hands of the defending champions United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On their way to final, Nepal beat Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Malaysia but lost twice, by identical 6-wicket margin, to UAE. Despite losing the final, all the fans, officials, and the national and international media praised Nepal for showing tremendous performance in the championship.
The team, now having valid license to play against Asian heavyweights Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh arrived late Tuesday night in the capital. And NepalCricket’s Purushottam Kattel had a short conversation with Nepali team captain Raju Khadka about his experience in Singapore and challenges that lie ahead for Nepali cricket in coming days. Excerpts:
NepalCricket : How was your and team’s experiences in Singapore?
Raju Khadka: It was a great experience indeed. We were regarded as underdogs prior to the tournament but the team showed team spirit to qualify for the Asia Cup.
NepalCricket : Can you shed some lights on the performance of Nepali players?
Khadka: Of course Shakti (Gauchan) and Mehaboob (Alam) played very well in the tournament. But I should give credit to all the 14-member squad along with chief coach Roy Dias and assistant coach Rajkumar Das for carrying out their duties as expected by the officials and the nation.
NepalCricket : What were the conditions out there?
Khadka: It was very similar to the sub-continent condition. The bounce was even and most of the pitches were batsmen friendly. But we failed with bat except in one match and we must improve on that front in coming days.
NepalCricket : Did the three friendly matches with Sri Lankan Clubs before the tournament prove fruitful for the preparation?
Khadka: Yes, it helped us very much. Especially our batting improved with every match in Sri Lanka. We coped very well with the fast bowlers in the third match against them. These type of friendlies with renowned teams will certainly make our batting stronger in coming days.
NepalCricket : How do the team feel about the prospect of playing in the Asia Cup cricket?
Khadka: Its’ a dream come true for us. The guys are quite enthusiastic playing against big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram and Sanath Jayasuriya. But we should prepare very hard to compete with them. Its’ not an easy task.
NepalCricket : How was the support from the spectators of Singapore?
Khadka: Attendance in the league phase was dismal as there was little advertisement of the tournament. But as the tournament progressed, Nepali community living in Singapore heard about the tournament and from semi-finals onward we received an overwhelming support from the crowd. In final, more than 70 per cent of the spectators rooted for Nepal.
NepalCricket : Now, what is the challenge for Nepali cricket?
Khadka: Each of us has a Herculean task ahead of us. The players, coaches, officials and even audience should know the tradition of cricket. There is concern over Nepal’s batting so we need an indoor net to make cricket perennial game. Further, we should compete with more international teams to improve our performance level.
NepalCricket : Is it possible?
Khadka: I think it is. It is a matter of prestige for all of us. Every person related to cricket should give their hundred percent to fulfil our dreams and aspirations.