With only 10 days remaining for Nepal team to go for World T20 Cup Qualifiers in UAE, it could not train on Friday as the ground was not available for the players. The team was scheduled to train at the TU grounds, Kirtipur.
Wai Wai U-19 Regional Selection of Region no 3 was being held at the ground. At the same time, the wicket was also not in a condition for net practice either. The team had no other option than to conduct physical training and remain as the spectators at the U-19 selection match.
The team returned home on Wednesday after 10-day long Delhi tour to prepare for the qualifiers. It was planning to conduct some important strategic training at home, something that they could not do in Indian capital.
The disappointment of Skipper Paras Khadka and the other members of the team could be seen on their face. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had slapped a fine of USD 84,000 last month, owing to ‘mismanagement’ of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN).
Khadka could not hide his disappointment to the cricket governing body of the nation and expressed his frustration at the TU ground Friday.
Paras Khadka’s take on CAN
We have been giving our best in the training for last two months and CAN has also been supportive to us, but not sufficiently supportive. India tour was better than last tour, but not up to our expectations. Opponents of last two games were not our match.
We have only 10 days before we leave for UAE and the practice will hardly be of four or five days. In such scenario we do not have ground for training and not even wicket. Even the wicket for net practice is not ready.
Nepali National team sits on the boundary watching U-19 regional cricket tournament. They didn’t get to train properly.
Photo: Bikas Karki
We had informed CAN two days before leaving Delhi that we needed training ground from November 1. But we are not getting ground for practice before we leave for World T20 Qualifiers.
We are doing our best, but such incidents demoralize us. The basic needs for practice should be fulfilled first.
I think there is communication gap in CAN. I heard it was recently imposed a fine of Rs 8.3 million for not submitting financial report on time. If the players do not perform well, they are thrown out of the team. Similarly, if office bearers of CAN cannot work properly they should resign or work properly.
As far as I know there are more than 30 members in CAN. But I have not seen more than half a dozen members fulfilling their duty properly. CAN members should be responsible.
Once we were in Division 5 and now in Division 2. But as a player I have felt no difference either in players lifestyle or in training facility.
I can feel disappointment in coach as well. As a coach he is giving his best. As he is on contract he cannot take every decision. We have reached this level due to our own hard work, thus we don’t need to lie. We are trying to look for our future in cricket. But such incidents harass players.
This is not the first time we are facing such incident and we are used to these things. Only those who have idea about cricket know that Nepali cricket has reached this far due to effort of players.
Sanjiv Pandey, Member CAN and High Performance Program
We had Delhi tour until November 5, but we returned home early due to technical reasons. We are conducting U-19 tournament as per our plans of enhancing youth cricket and the tournament is conducted with this purpose. The team could not train due to this very reason today. But the ground will be available for training from tomorrow.
The U-19 tournament will be shifted to Bhaktapur from tomorrow (Saturday). The ground curator has informed that at least three days will be needed to prepare wicket. We had informed them about needing wickets on October 29th.
Though I am too not fully satisfied with the Delhi tour it does not mean that we played with weaker side only. The first four matches we played were against strong teams. Just because we beat them, it does not mean that they are weak. They have said that our standard has increased.