The best Nepali all-rounder Mehboob Alam is leaving for Qatar to play professional club cricket blaming the lack of vision in Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) to turn the game into professional one.
“I am leaving on April 17,†the left-hander opening batsman and bowler told media. “Cricket has a future in Nepal, but the cricketers don’t.â€Â
Alam believed he spent a few years in cricket without looking at the future but it’s now time for him to think about it. “The future of every cricketer in the country is bleak,” said the all-rounder from Saptari. Alam was also not happy with the way CAN has been forcing long-serving cricketers a non-fancy retirement. “There are plenty of examples how players are eulogized in hey days and discarded then after,” he lamented.
Alam has signed a six-year initial contract with Set Co Club in Qatar, which will pay him Rs. 34,000 per tournament he plays along with accommodation and food. “Nepali cricketers have a lot of visas on their passport, but cricket administrators have never thought about future of the players,†he said.
When asked if he would join Nepali national side in future, he said “If Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) calls me, I will be available.”
Nepali team missing the InterContinental Cup also prompted him to leave. “I decided to leave now because, the senior side missed a chance to graduate into the InterContinental Cup,” said the 25-year old left hander.