Cricnepal/Kathmandu
Pubudu’s tenure as Nepal’s coach ends in March 31st and Cricket Association of Nepal hasn’t yet shown any sign of renewing the contract.
The last two years have been the golden years of Nepali Cricket. Nepal won two ICC World Cricket League Titles, played three global qualifiers, were crowned the Asian Champions, qualified for the T20 World Cup, and to top those off, the team impressed everyone in the World Cup with their spirit and play. With the exceptionally stirring show at the World Cup, the Cricket’s festivities in Nepal are just starting. This all happened after Pubudu Dassanayake took over coaching Nepal in September 2011.
In 2011 ACC T20-Pubudu’s first outing as Nepal’s coach-Nepal in Dasanayake’s own words-“served pretty soft cricket”. The softness was exposed especially against stronger teams like Afghanistan and UAE against whom Nepali batters after losing few initial wickets started bolcking even full tosses and half volleys. Two years later Nepal has beaten UAE 4 times in T20s and once in One Day Cricket. Nepal finally got over the Afghan jinx; defeating them in the biggest stage of it all the Worlc T20. The manner he has transformed the soft nepali cricketers to agressive world class athletes will go down in Cricket’s history as one of the most successfull stories.
Dassanayake’s two years tenure ends on 31st March and suprisingly Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) hasn’t yet started any conversations for extension of his contract.”Nothing has been discussed about the contract”, admits Dassanayake. “My stay depends on how the CAN behaves. They are not professional and its difficult to work in such terms.”, he said at a press meet after team Nepal’s victory parade.
Dassanayake is leaving for Canada in few days. If his tenure is not renewed Nepal could go coachless for coming months. Let’s not forget Nepal is participating in the ACC Premier League in Malaysia in May.
