In a move that may appear humiliating to anyone who has followed Nepali cricket in recent months, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has extended Team Nepal’s head coach Pubudu Dassanayake’s contract by just three months, a month after announcing that his coaching job would be extended by a year.
On March 25, CAN had announced that Dassanayake would remain with Nepali cricket team for another year.
The cricket governing body handed him three-month contract extension just ahead of the team’s departure to Malaysia, where Nepal plays in the ACC Premier League. CAN’s work execution committee had unanimously decided to extend Dassanayake’s one-year extension six days before his previous contract expired.
Making public the decision of the meeting then, CAN President and the member of work execution committee Tanka Angbuhang had also announced increment to Dassanayake’s salary and facilities provided by CAN. However, the contract was yet to be signed then.
“I was assured of a year-long contract extension before its expiry on May 29. But now they have handed me the contract for three months. As per the document I will be team coach until June 20,” disappointed Dassanayake said. “I don’t have any idea why I was given just three months contract.”
However, CAN General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel claimed that the contract was given following hours long discussion with coach Dassanayake on Monday evening. He also said three-month contract was due to technical problem.
According to a highly placed CAN sources, the cricket authority decided to reduce his contract period blaming him of foul play during national players’ recent protest which dragged CAN office bearers to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) probe.
National players had boycotted recently held national championship demanding resignation of CAN officials, proper cricketing system, financial transparency and timely payment of their salary among others. Besides this, some CAN officials were not happy with coach’s active role in policy making as well as his reach at the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Following the players protest, CAN was forced to form planning and monitoring committee consisting of National Sports Council (NSC) Member-Secretary Yubaraj Lama, Dassanayake himself, captain Paras Khadka and others. Many believe that the three month extension as CAN’s revenge to Dassanayake because he agreed to be in the committee.
“I think CAN have been facing serious questions these days and are also under the scanner of CIAA. Thus they were not willing to extend the contract. But, I don’t have any role in player’s recent protest.”
General Secretary Pyakurel refuted that CAN was taking revenge with Dassanayake. “It is totally wrong. As CIAA has called CAN for investigation, the decision of work execution committee alone cannot give him contract extension. The extension is yet to be approved by the executive committee.”
“CIAA could again raise question why such big decision was not undertaken by the board. He (Dassanayake) had asked for a-year contract letter yesterday. We explained our difficulties to him and it was his idea of three months extension for time being,” Pyakurel said. CAN sources also claim there may not be further contract extension for the coach.
However, Pyakurel says extension is on. “There is no reason why his contract won’t be extended. He will get full term (one-year) extension once the board meeting approves it. The work execution committee is obliged to follow the board decision,” Pyakurel said. When asked what if the board does not approves the decision of work execution committee, he said, “It is up to board and it must be approved.”
Meanwhile, skipper Paras Khadka said that CAN was plotting to fire Dassanayake from the post. “They (CAN) have been fooling us by saying they did not have sufficient time for doing anything as they were occupied due to CIAA’s investigation. The truth is that they are trying to humiliate and fire him,” said furious captain.
“It is nothing but humiliation to see such treatment given to the coach who has contributed so much for Nepali cricket,” he added.
Nepali cricket has taken a giant stride under Dassanayake. Since he took over as the coach in October 2011 of Nepal replacing incumbent Roy Dias, Nepal has climbed to ICC World Cricket League Division 2, from Division 4, played in One Day International World Cup qualifiers. Nepal also entered the ICC World T20, for the first time, under Dassanayake’s coaching stint.