Afghanistan’s thumping 7 wicket win over Hong Kong, a team Nepal lost to during the group stage, had already sent alarm bells ringing in the Nepali camp ahead of the ACC T20 final on Wednesday. The Afghans, who enjoy ODI status and were a part of the ICC T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka last year, were always going to be a tough nut to crack, as proved to be the case in Wednesday’s final against Nepal. Thankfully, even before the final loss, Nepal had already booked its place in the World T20 Qualifiers to be held in the UAE in November, the final hurdle to the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh in 2014. But Nepal has a long-long way to go if it wants to fulfill its dream of making it to the biggest stage in international cricket and lock horns with the best in business.
Cricket gives Nepal its only realistic hope of shining in top-tier international team sports. Though football is arguably still the most famous sport in the country, the huge outpouring of support for Nepal during the recent T20 tournament suggests cricket is not far behind, especially when the team is doing well. The huge (and still growing) support base for Nepali cricket team and increasing international exposure of Nepali players bodes well for the country’s cricketing prospect. But Nepali cricket needs more support, from the government as well as the private sector. Some might argue against pouring resources into sports when so many other vital areas of the economy are underfunded. Yet as the unanimous support for the Nepali cricket team in the ACC T20 has proven, sports straddles caste, cast and other socio-economic divides. The unity and success of Nepali cricket team represented a microcosm of what New Nepal could be. Such symbolisms are important in a bitterly divided country undergoing a wrenching transition.[break]
But before the country starts dreaming big, it will have to get the basics right. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the regulatory body for cricket, is among the most unprofessional sporting bodies in the county. Unless the whole organizational set-up is rejigged, and competent professionals (instead of political cronies) recruited to run it, things are unlikely to improve much. One good news is the establishment of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which is expected to be a milestone in the development of young players. One of the big problems with Nepali cricket is that even top players get very little on-field time in any calendar year, not nearly enough to succeed at the international level. NCA could help rectify this situation by availing regular training and counseling facilities to players. Completing the long-delayed works on the international standard cricket grounds at Mulpani and Pokhara should also be among the top priorities. But the immediate focus has to be on building a strong squad for the next round of T20 and ODI World Cup qualifiers. It will be a historic achievement for the Nepali cricket team to finally make it to the big stage. During the last T20 qualifiers, Nepal missed the final qualifying spot for the World T20 by a whisker. Let us hope it can overcome that final hurdle this time around.
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