The task force formed by National Sports Council (NSC) submitted its report on the short-term plans that carries a budget of Rs 38.34 million to prepare Nepal cricket team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers and the ICC World T20.
The NSC had formed a task force headed by its Sports Development Department Chief Prakash Chandra Ghimire last week to submit report on things to be done to prepare team for the World Cup Qualifiers to be held in New Zealand in January 2014 and World T20 to be held in Bangladesh in March 2014.
The task force has suggested NSC to renovate gym hall and practice nets at the TU Cricket Ground, Kirtipur immediately. Likewise, the task force has asked NSC to construct an indoor training hall in Kirtipur immediately. The task force has estimated the expenses of around Rs 15.30 million for the development of the physical components.
Meanwhile, the taskforce has suggested arranging a practice tour to either India or Sri Lanka before the ICC World T20. As Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has already arranged practice matches in Sri Lanka before the World Cup Qualifiers in New Zealand, the taskforce has incorporated it in its suggestion also. The task force has estimated the expenses of around Rs 23.04 million for the preparation and participation. The task force has said the preparation and participation expenses will be look after by CAN itself while NSC has to step in developing physical components.
“We have prepared the report on short-term plans. We tried to include the best possible things in the report,” said task force head Ghimire. “Though we have a CAN member in the task force, we could not met top level CAN officials,” lamented Ghimire.
Receiving the report, NSC Member Secretary Yuvaraj Lama said that the task of developing physical component would be started soon and completed by the time the team returns from New Zealand.
“We have a budget of around Rs 4 million at NSC for developing infrastructure for cricket. We can start up with this amount and ask more from government,” said Lama. “On the other hand CAN has grants from ICC and ACC for the expenses related to preparation and participation,” claimed Lama.
Under-Secretary at Youth and Sports Ministry Ram Bahadur Hamal, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Member Sanjib Pandey, Cricket Chief-coach at NSC Jagat Tamata and Engineer at NSC Biswamitra Sanjyal are the member of the task force.
NSC has asked the same task force to come up with detail plans to prepare and uplift the conditions of TU Cricket Ground, Mulpani Cricket Ground, Pokhara Cricket Ground, Bhairahawa Cricket Ground and Birgunj Cricket Ground within a month.