Category Archives: Opinion

Most sports lovers, like me, read the back pages of the broadsheet newspapers first. Of course, with the advent of social media and internet proliferation, we don’t have to wait for the morning newspapers anymore to learn about latest scores. However, we can’t help but reminisce about the time when we relied so heavily on print media to know what was happening in the sports we loved, both domestically and internationally. There was a time when almost all of Nepal-related sports news was dominated by domestic events.  Apart from the odd Athletics, Wushu, shooting and football exploits of our sportsmen, there wasn’t much at the international level to write home about. However, Nepal’s cricket team of this generation has changed… Read More

If memories can be erased, a memory that I will surely erase will be the Cricket World Cup 2015 Qualifiers. Not for that we failed to qualify for the World Cup or that we couldn’t be in top four with a hope of ODI status, but for the impact the results of the tournament could have on future of our cricket. With four losses in four matches, three heavy ones and one tight one, it’s now look very difficult that Nepal’s world ranking will improve. It couldn’t win next match, then either we remain at the same ranking or we’ll go down by a place. The finishing is crucial because International Cricket Council (ICC) is in the discussion to restructure… Read More

It is time to stand up and give a prolonged applause to Paras and Team Nepal for their wonderful achievement!! Indeed we have dearth of words to thank them for making the dream come true of Nepal entering World Cup. The journey started in 1996 and memories are still fresh in my mind. All the players of the ’96 team were skeptical about flying to play first ACC Trophy in Malaysia until we boarded the Thai Airways flight to Bangkok and then to Malaysia. Once we boarded the flight we told to each other “aba ta udine bho” (Now we will fly). Nepali Cricket has come long way since then, at international level, with several achievements to cherish. A lot… Read More

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

Division 3 mania has toned down after numerous ‘felicitations’ that Nepali team received in past few weeks. The ‘felicitations’ have continued though, after Nepali team came back home, with the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 title, but the frequency is lower. If you ignore the first day’s unorganized felicitation program, Nepali team has been the most successful ever, in receiving cash felicitations. If you add 350 thousand rupees announced by the government – but yet to actually hand over – every Nepali cricketer from that team has become richer by half a million rupees. Yet again, there has been a repeat of immediate brouhaha following the title win and who-cares attitude some days after initial noise, just like in… Read More

Nepali cricket team returned home after winning historic ICC World Cricket League Division 3 title in Bermuda. Euphoric cricket fans back home wanted to give heroic welcome to the team that ensured our chance to play in World Cup qualifier, which will be held in New Zealand early next year.  I was also part of the crowd that went to Tribhuwan International Airport, to welcome the cricketers. The Jubilant fans with National flags and slogans written on placards and banners were continuously chanting as they waited for cricketers to come out of the terminal. Cricket fans as well as reporters, photo journalists and relatives of the cricketers flocked the arrival section of TIA. The slogans from the fans caught my… Read More

Can honors be inhuman? My answer is yes, after seeing what Nepali cricket players went through on Wednesday. This might sound harsh, but Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is a body that doesn’t think of consequences of any action thus they fail to think beyond the day. The drama and mismanagement with the team on Wednesday in the name of honoring their achievement was simply a behavior that couldn’t be called human in nature. If you think I’m accusing, take this example: The World Cricket League Division 3 winning team returned home on Wednesday. They played six hard-fought matches in eight days before taking a flight back; they travelled more than a couple of days in economy class (if you have been… Read More

When Nepal lost first two matches of the ICC World Cricket League Division 3, I was upset. I was frightened thinking it could be a recurrence of same old problem of losing crucial match. I tweeted my frustration when Nepal was taking on Uganda in the league round. Next morning I went through an ICC press release about the results and encountered with some positive quotes from Nepali skipper Paras Khadka. “Mathematically, we still have a chance. There are three games left and we just need to win those three games, remain positive and forget these matches,” Khadka was quoted. Truly speaking, I was not hopeful by then but Khadka’s words forced me to think some positives. The outspoken skipper kept… Read More

Nepal stepped on Bermuda’s soil as the favorites to win the World Cricket League Division 3. After a couple of matches, it looked like Nepal would have to struggle to avoid relegation. The month changed after that and in May, Nepal came up with the performance that for many were simply unexpected. With the bravery within the field – and some luck – Nepal qualified to the Division 2 and World Cup qualifiers and is strongly poised to win the trophy! The journey was bumpy. USA had just two home-born players and one of them Steve Taylor ensured Nepal has the worst start possible. He scored 162 off 102 balls helping USA post 366 in 50 overs. The massive total… 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

[Binod Pandey, who is associated with Cricket Nepal since its inception, was recently awarded Sports Journalism of Archival Values Award by Nepal South Asian Sports Journalists Association and Nepal Olympic Museum. This is his “thank you” write-up. Cricket Nepal team congratulates content co-ordinator Pandey for the award. –Ed] For me, speaking on a microphone is as rare as handle the ball out in cricket and goal on corner kick in football. So, I am a bit nervous. First of all, I thank organizing Nepal South Asian Sports Journalists Association for awarding me. I also thank Nepal Olympic Museum for establishing this award for sports journalism for archival values. For me, Chhitiz is a double co-incidence. Basu Chhitiz pointed my direction… 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

People of Nepalgunj woke up on Friday to hear the shocking news of the untimely demise of its beloved cricket player Ganesh Shahi.  Death of one of the star player this city has produced, has shocked everyone. Former Nepali national team skipper Shahi died during treatment in the Vivekanand Hospital, Lucknow, India. His death has sparked wave of grief in the cricket loving city Nepalgunj where Shahi was considered as a best wicket keeper batsman it gave to the national side. For another former national cricket team skipper LB Chhetri, this is his personal loss as Chhetri was his roommate during first and second ACC trophy played in Malaysia and Kathmandu in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Chhetri says, “His death… 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