The future of Sri Lankan cricket coach Roy Luke Dias, the most successful foreign coach for Nepal, looks uncertain after his one-and-half-year contract with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) ended yesterday.
Dias has publicly expressed his desire to stay in Nepal, but has lamented CAN officials for not initiating contract extension process in advance. “If they wanted my contract extension they should have started the procedure in advance,” Dias told an English daily.
CAN officials, who meet on March 31, agreed that Dias is needed for Nepal and would initiate the procedure with ACC and Sri Lankan Cricket Board. “We are sure that Dias can do further good to Nepali cricket,” CAN president Jai Kumar Nath Shah was quoted by a paper. Shah also said that Dias will go to Nepalgunj to witness the U-19 Selection Tournament as scheduled on April 2.
Shah is hopeful that Dias’ contract would be extended this month.
Meanwhile, there are rumours that Dias may be wanted in his own country. Board of Cricket Control in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has sacked Dav Whatmore as the national coach and there are good chances that Dias may be recalled. Dias managed the Sri Lankan national team in 1999 World Cup but was forced to quit his job after the devasting performance.
Dias also hinted that few Sri Lankan high-level cricket officials are in contact with him. “There is a lot of confusion and reformation inside the Sri Lankan cricket but its too early to take these calls as authorative,” Dias said.
“BCCSL has not contacted me yet,” said Dias. “But Nepal needs me more than Sri Lanka.”
The confusion over Dias stay will hopefully be over in a few days.