The fact that the Nepal under-19 team is competing in any tournament is a surprise. That the unfancied Nepal can stun the Rahul Dravid mentored Indian under-19 team in the Asia Cup is as difficult to believe as Mukri beating Amitabh Bachchan or Meghalaya defeating Mumbai. If this was a boxing bout, the referee would have disallowed the unequal contest from taking place.
Nepal won by 19 runs in a proper 50-over game, not a 20 over match, which was reduced to an eight-over shootout. Chasing Nepal's modest 185/8, India was bowled out for 166. Responsible for Nepal's improbable win was captain Dipendra Airee, who first made a gritty 88 (101 balls), and then picked up figures of four for 39 from 10 overs with his right-arm spin.
The India-Nepal game in Kuala Lumpur was a Lagaan-like mismatch. On one side was mighty India, cricket world's superpower, trained and ready for battle, supported by a system that has everything in many structured tournaments, abundant resources, infrastructure, facilities, support staff, specialised coaches.
Contrast this with Nepal, which has little going for them.
Cricket Administration
At present, Nepal is without a cricket association officially – the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has been suspended by the ICC because of 'government interference in its functioning'. Under an interim arrangement, the national teams are directly managed by the ICC, while attempts are going on to adopt a new constitution.
Technically CAN reports to the Nepal Sports Council, an arm of the Ministry of Sports. Even this is a mess, considering regular political instability in the country which has resulted in frequent changes of government. The elections are due again in Nepal later this month.
Facilities/Infrastructure
Cricket infrastructure in Nepal is practically non-existent. Nepal has one cricket facility – the Tribhuvan University (TU) ground – which lacks proper sight-screens, rollers or covers.
The dressing rooms are basic and spectators sit on grass mounds around the boundary, except for a small section next to the pavilion which has cemented stands.
Cricket Structure
The national championship has not been held for a few years as regular cricket has come to a halt with CAN's suspension. The under-19 team's preparation for the Asia Cup consisted of a short camp in Kathmandu and three practice matches in Bangladesh. Its coach is Binod Das, an ex-Nepal cricketer, but the team lacks a proper trainer.
Player Facilities
Most Players are on their own, without any financial security or support. The ICC pays graded monthly stipends/salaries to 30 players, ranging from $350 in grade A to a meager $80 in grade D, which incidentally is less than 50 percent of the daily match fee of a Ranji cricketer! Only two under-19 players that were part of the team, which defeated India, are contracted with the ICC.
Considering this context, it’s a miracle cricket has grown in popularity to become the preferred sport, and Nepal today is not just a football territory anymore. Nepal’s high point in Cricket was in 2014, when they qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, clinching their spot in the main draw with a dramatic last ball win over Hong Kong.
At that time, Nepal and Afghanistan were making big strides, but due to Nepal’s internal issues, they fell back while Afghanistan recently achieved Test status.
Nepal's hopes of resurgence are pinned on its captain Paras Khadka – a young, talented, Virat Kohli-like rock star figure, who had represented Nepal in three under-19 World Cups (2004, 2006 and 2008). and has led Nepal’s senior team since 2009. Paras is much respected for his leadership qualities and is Nepal's number 1 sporting hero and youth role model.
Nepal cricket has a mountain to climb and its future is linked to the forthcoming Everest Premier League (EPL). The league, like the IPL, has six privately owned franchised teams. The tournament scheduled for December is a platform for Nepali cricketers to showcase their talent, and will provide players media attention and much needed financial rewards.
Each EPL team has a designated marquee player – Paras is recruited by Biratnagar and Dipendra (the under-19 hero) is with Chitwan.
Over the years, Nepal cricket's unique strength is that it is fuelled by local talent. All players and the coach Jagat Tamata are of Nepali origin, unlike other countries (Canada, Hong Kong, UAE), which have substantial representation of expats, especially from the subcontinent .
Hopefully, the EPL will take Nepal cricket forward by integrating it with the economy and establishing a stronger connect with fans.
(Amrit Mathur is a senior journalist, former GM of the BCCI and Manager of the Indian Cricket Team. He can be reached at @AmritMathur1)
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