However, almost seven months after the decision came into effect, Nepal has played only one international T20 match. Nepal needs to play at least eight T20I matches to be in the ICC's Global Ranking system but has played only four matches so far, including three matches during the ICC T20 World Cup hosted by Bagladesh last year. This was seven months before Nepal earned the T20I status.Nepal lost the only T20I match it played against Hong Kong during Sri Lanka tour last year. Nepal still needs to play four international matches win most of them to be in the ICC's T20 ranking.
After the Sri Lanka Tour, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the cricket governing body in the country, has neither hosted any T20 match nor visited any other teams with a similar status. Nepal is unlikely to host any international matches in the near future as the cricket grounds in the country fail to meet standards established by the ICC to host T20I matches.
"We cannot host other teams because we do not have grounds that meet ICC's requirements," said CAN's Acting General Secretary Uttam Karmacharya, who further added that internal conflicts within the governing body has weakened cricket overall .
Nepal not only needs good pitches and outfields to satisfy ICC inspections to host T20I but also better quality facilities like rooms for international umpires and officials within the ground's premises.
Despite claims by CAN that Tribhuvan University Ground meets international standards; the reality couldn't be further from the truth. The pitch and outfield has been of poor quality for several years already and needs drastic improvements if CAN wants to host international matches.
Meanwhile, ICC's T20I status has also given direct entry to the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers for Nepal, scheduled to be held between July 6-26 in Ireland and Scotland. It is essential for Nepal to gain exposure and practice matches before going into qualifiers.
However, Nepal has not yet arranged a single T20I fixture though CAN has been trying to send the team to England or Netherlands for practice matches.
"We do not have any T20I fixtures in the near future but we are trying to send the team to England or Netherlands. We will most likely send the team to Netherlands to prepare for the Qualifiers," Karmacharya said who further added that Nepal has not received any invitation from other countries for a T20I series.
Recent developments in Nepali cricket shows that Nepal has failed to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the ICC. Nepal has the status for two years and to maintain the status, Nepal needs to qualify for the 2016 ICC World Cup scheduled to be held in India.
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