Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Selection Committee will announce 18- member team for Asian Cricket Council (ACC) T-20 cricket tournament on October 21 but without naming the captain.
The committee will later announce the names of the 14 players along with the captain.
Despite wondering on the issue of change in captaincy, the committee is still undecided on replacing Binod Das. Under Binod, Nepal failed to proceed beyond semifinals in the two international tournaments played last year. After the failure, the committee had hinted that it would replace the skipper.
In the last year’s Division -5 tournament held in Jersey, Nepal was confined to the third place which shattered Nepal’s hope to play in the 2011 World Cup. Likewise, Nepal remained fourth in the ACC Trophy held in Malaysia where UAE had shattered Nepal’s dream to play Asia Cup.
Binod is leading Nepal for last four years. He had replaced Paresh Lohani in 2005 from the World Cricket League Division-2 selection tournament. Except the victory in ACC Premier League 3-days cricket tournament in 2006, Nepali national team has not put up any remarkable show under Binod.
If selection committee replaces Binod from his role, vice-captain Parash Khadka is likely to take over the mantle. According to a CAN source, because of lack of more options the committee could not replace Binod while announcing the names of the 18-member team.
“Captain may be named later,” the source said. After the failure of national team in Malaysia, Binod had expressed his desire to quit the job but the issue was undecided as Nepal didn’t play any international tournament afterward.
It was learned that some CAN members are against replacing the captain before the World Cricket League Division 5 in February in Nepal.