Author Archives: somesh

Recently, former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh was presented with Team Nepal Jersey, in London. Apparently, Waugh was pleased to receive the jersey and keen to learn about cricket development in Nepal. The team Nepal jersey was presented by a group of Nepalis, including Gagan Thapa. Yes, you guessed it right: Gagan Thapa, the politician. While those who have been following cricket need no introduction for Steve Waugh, many would not know the interest Gagan Thapa has in cricket. Steve Waugh has been known for his fighting style of cricket and a ruthlessly efficient captain of Cricket Australia. He has been one of known names lobbying for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics. At the same time we do not know… Read More

When Ireland was playing England in the Cricket World Cup 2011, little did anybody know – until Ireland started batting – that we were in for a surprise. England had put up mammoth total of 325 and Ireland was considered too small a team to overhaul the target. Led by Kevin O’Brien – who scored 113 off 67 balls – Ireland chased down the target, with 5 balls to spare, causing one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Cup. Yes, Ireland were minnows, an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), not fitting the bill of top flight teams that a World Cup boasts of. At the same time, England were one of the pre-tournament favorites.… Read More

Biratnagar seems to be stamping its authority on youth cricket. That is what looks like, with the region’s title win at the Women’s U-19 National Cricket Championship, following the boys’ win at similar championship a few months earlier. It appears as if things are on the right track for the region that has given as many as 7 players in the men’s national squad (among 14) in 2002. The region that has won 4 back to back national championships seems to be back to producing quality cricketers again. There were some bright spots during the tournament, and they belong to the winning team. Kajol Shrestha, known to her teammates as ‘Pollard’ – with reference to big hitting batsman from West… Read More

Cricket, despite being a non-contact sport, is also about fear. The fear of losing not counted as the main reason behind this. One of the best sights in cricket is watching a fast bowler steaming in and hurling a ball as fast as he can, uprooting the stumps and letting the bails fly all over. Not only does it create a good sight, but it also sets in panic among the batsmen that have to come to the crease, after the fall of cricket. The fear it creates tantalizes the crowd, excites the fielders and ignites the TRP ratings. Fast bowling does that to cricket. As a Nepali cricket fan, you always wished a Nepali player did something like that.… Read More

Circa 2002: ICC Under-19 World Cup Plate Final – Nepal Vs Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe won by 137 runs. In a chase to score 248 runs, Nepal team managed a paltry 110. Failure at the end of the tournament… Yet, mission accomplished… It might sound buffoonery to term defeat as completion of a mission. Yet, we knew that Nepali team did not go to the tournament aiming for silverware. It is difficult to imagine how much ICC Under-19 World Cup 2002 meant for Nepal Cricket, unless you’re a cricket fanatic, who followed Nepali cricket for past one and half decade. You know the total of 110 in that match was not a ‘paltry’ one, if you know what Nepal achieved during… Read More

As a year draws to an end, you’re often asked, “What was the best moment for you this year?” A Nepali is asked this question twice, every year. Once when the Common Era (CE or AD) comes to an end, and another when the official Nepal Calendar (BS) comes to a close. Based on your experience, you can be termed fortunate – for being able to relive two great moments every year – or unfortunate – if you can’t recollect the moments that can be called great. And in past year, cricket provided more moments – which could be cherished – in Nepali sports than any other. Be it the win in World Cricket League Division 4, or finishing as… Read More

Nepal finished as the second best team in ACC T20 Cup, amid a gripping fever that saw almost everyone on Nepali cyberspace (social media and alike) talking about the game. The runners-up medal came for Nepal, despite some outstanding and memorable performances during the tournament. There were several moments for Nepali cricket fans to savour, be it Paras Khadka’s ‘leading from the front’ swagger on the field, or Sharad Veswakar’s ‘coming-of-age’ attacking batsmanship, or Prithu Baskota’s ‘match-turning’ bowling against UAE (semi-final). But, if I were told to remember one scene from the entire tourney, it would be the moment that Nepal lost the Cup. As Afghanistan – undoubtedly the best team playing in the championship – beat the home side,… Read More

If I tell you, ‘CAN (Cricket Association of Nepal) is not dynamic,’ you might wave a hand and say, ‘Maybe’.  But, if the same line comes from the captain of Team Nepal, it is certain to make you start to worry. If I add that the skipper says that indifference or apathy from the CAN officials has affected the players’ performance, your worry level is bound to shoot up. So was I, after reading the Team Nepal’s captain complaining about CAN being unprofessional. There would be several who would question Paras Khadka for being outspoken and not talking well about an organization of which he is a part of. But make no mistake; Paras Khadka’s aggression is not his disloyalty… Read More

Nepali dreams of seeing their women play against top flight cricket nations has been quashed. The opportunity for this team being a participant at the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2014 – scheduled to be held in Bangladesh – has now been thrown out of the window. Because it did not finish as the top team in ACC Women´s Championship in Thailand, Nepali women’s team would not be travelling to Ireland this year, to play in the world cup qualifiers. It’s disappointing for cricket fans. It is difficult to take heart from a match where your team scores all of 38 runs, in 25-over-a-side match, despite being one of the title contenders. It’s not easy to digest that the highest scorer… Read More

Cricket governing body of Nepal, CAN, now boasts of a National Cricket Academy. And, whether it goes right or wrong, formation of this institution would be seen in history as turning point for Nepali Cricket, for better or for worse. It is difficult to say who should be more excited with the formation of this academy: players or cricket aficionados. It is obvious that cricket players are the direct beneficiaries of the academy, where they get opportunity to hone their skills. But as a cricket fan, yours truly would not want to rejoice any less with the development. For a cricket fan, there is no better news than to know that there is now an opportunity for sustained growth in… Read More

New Year is a time for euphoria. The excitement of new beginnings makes it possible to forget past failings. It is a time to rejoice, as renewed energy makes it possible to scale heights unattained earlier. And the year 2013, in all likelihood, could be the best year for Nepali sports, especially cricket. For this year gives us an opportunity to be on the road to qualify for unprecedented 4 World Cups. Never before have we been on the threshold of qualifying this many top tournaments. This year, if steps are taken right, and if our teams play well, there is a possibility that we might see our players rubbing shoulders with the top players of world cricket. The opportunities… Read More

The National One Day cricket championship ends just as the New Year begins. For all the criticism Cricket Association of Nepal has faced for not organizing the nationals during the customary season of summer, the timing of the nationals has been perfect this time around. There is something about winter and cricket that makes sense. The sun shining on the pitch, after moist and dewy mornings, just as the players warm up and spectators enjoy sunbathing along with contest between bat and ball makes it a delightful sight that perhaps no other sport offers. Add to that women’s team practicing under the watchful eyes of Pubudu Dassanayake – just as the men fight it out for the national title –… Read More

If you followed Nepal’s march in ACC Trophy Elite, you could not have remained unaffected with one man’s performance. That of Nepal captain Paras Khadka, who not only took the responsibility of scoring most runs in the tournament, but also took wickets during important phases in many matches with his military medium (pace) bowling. With his performance, he has made his coach say that ‘Paras is the best captain among associate cricket nations’. If you followed the twitteratti of facebook dwellers,  you would like his new nickname ‘Captain Cool’. To me, the story began long, long ago. A decade ago, during one of the club matches at capital’s Tundikhel one youngster – probably in his mid-teens – caught yours truly’s… Read More

It is difficult to say if Roshani Bohara is a happy lady or not. Roshani is a cricketer from Baitadi. She must be happy for being named the player-of-the-series during the Women’s National T20 championship. The title came about as she scored 99 runs and claimed six wickets during the tournament. Along with the title, Roshani got richer by Rs 10,000. She could be a touch sad with the cash award though. Last time the same award for a player in Men’s National T20 championship carried a purse of Rs. 15 thousand. In fact, Roshani’s purse would be considered good, if you take into account the amount title winning team got: all of Rs. 25,000. Compare that to the title… Read More

Nepal embarks on another campaign at Asian level Cricket, to play in the ACC Trophy Elite. As the players leave the country, their heads will be held high, having received previously unheard sum – for the cricketers – from the government of Nepal. The reward is a result of Nepal’s entry into the ICC World Cricket League Division 3. And what an achievement it has been. As expected, it’s been celebrated well, by public, by various (political) organizations – trying to cash in on the increased popularity of cricket. But yours truly gets a feeling that we might have had one celebration too many. Nothing wrong with the celebration, as long as it doesn’t become an impediment for the future… Read More

Team Nepal has climbed to the ICC World Cricket League Division 3, after roaring performance at the Division 4 in Malaysia. Much has been said about the players who were a part of it and Nepal government has duly recognized their contribution, announcing an award of Rs. 300,000 for each member of the squad. With the win, the team, which looked in tatters around a year ago – with string of bad performances in Asian Games in November, 2010, and ACC T20 at home grounds in December 2011 – has turned a corner. It climbed in the world rankings to 27th position, from 29th. So how was it possible for the same team – well, almost – to make such… Read More

It is strange how the ghosts of past keep coming back to haunt you. More so, in sports, as it deals with statistics – again, of the past… By all means Malaysia has been a happy hunting ground for Nepali cricket – after the home ground – having won two titles at age group level cricket. The first of them came at the ACC U-15 Two Day, when Nepal won the title under Prithu Baskota’s captaincy, in 2006. Nepal won ACC U-19 Elite Cup, in 2007, under Paras Khadka’s captaincy. Some of the members of present senior team like Anil Mandal, Amrit Bhattarai, Gyanendra Malla were a part of the team coached by Roy Dias. At the same time, the… Read More

The more things change, the more they stay the same. A lot has happened in cricket since Nepal pipped South Africa to enter the Super League at the U-19 World Cup, in their first appearance at the event, in 2000. This was the first, and so far only, incident of an associate member of ICC entering the Super League stage at the Youth World Cup. It’s a different issue that South Africa were one of the favourites and were unlucky to be eliminated after three no-results gave them just three points. Nepal, with four points due to one no-result against South Africa and a win over Kenya, went through to the Super League. After all, Nepali players did not create… Read More

A cricketer, who plays at the national level, bumped into a few sports journalists at a café. Incidentally, I happened to witness the conversation. He asked, “When are the national championships happening?” He was promptly replied, “It’s not likely to happen this year.” While it may sound as a normal conversation, it is definitely not normal. It goes on to show, at a deeper level, the problems our cricket faces. A cricketer has to ask a journalist about when a tournament that he is supposed to play in takes place. The incident shows that the governing body of cricket in the country, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), has not communicated with its players, whether the national championship is going to… Read More