Chit-chat with Roy Dias
Roy Luke Dias has been Nepal’s coach for the last five years. The former Sri Lankan international, who had coached Sri Lanka in 1999 World Cup, has been instrumental in Nepali cricket’s progress on the field. On Saturday, the 53-year-old coach added another feather to his cap as the Nepali Under-19 team won the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) U-19 Cup cricket tournament for the third consecutive time. After the victory, the CityPost published a little chat with him:
How are you feeling right now?
I am very happy with the cricketers, cricket board for the successful organization of the event and also with the public, the fans of Nepali cricket, who came here in thousands to support us.
How did the tournament go for the team?
We won the tournament easily. All the players did what I wanted them to do and did that at right time.
What made the tournament victory look so easy?
The fast bowlers gave us breakthroughs early in the innings. Amrit Bhattarai bowled really well along with the others. We batted well, especially Sarad Vesawkar batted brilliantly. It’s good to see him scoring because he is such an important player for Nepali team. There were 15 teams in the tournament and anybody could have won it.
How significant is this victory for you personally?
For me as a coach, it’s a great achievement because there is a lot of pressure. To win for the third time in about four years, it all feels great. Besides, this year has been fantastic. We won the U-15 ACC, were going well to win U-17 ACC before it was cancelled and won three-day matches. It’s a fantastic year. I don’t think you can ask any more from the cricketers and the coach.
And for the country?
We have proved that we are the best in the region. It’s a sad thing, though, that we are not playing in the (senior) Asia Cup.