Finally the long and often agonizing wait for fans is over. The national cricket team of Nepal achieved unprecedented success, qualifying to the 2014 ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
This is the first time ever Nepal has made it to the biggest theater of a team event. Congratulations to all our players and coaches on their outstanding work and accomplishment
Players displayed tremendous commitment, resilience, persistence, grit and concerted effort, making the tournament a historical success. They had a great opportunity to prove their ability and readiness for the big stage, unlike past, there was no disappointment this time, and they made most out of it.
The cricketers have glorified the country’s name in the sports world and carved themselves a niche as an emerging force in world cricket.
We truly are proud of our cricketers and their accomplishment, and if we ever needed a moment to rejoice and celebrate, this is it.
It was a remarkable tale of team effort, coupled with individual brilliance. Not only did they qualify to the World Cup but also concluded the tournament on a high note, finishing a well deserved third. This validates the team’s potential and what they are of capable of achieving.
The national team has toiled tirelessly, overcoming very challenging circumstances to get where they are today. The road to top flight cricket has been arduous.
Cricketers have endured endless agony, frustration and disillusionment yet they never lost hope. Amazingly, they have remained dogged, determined and enthusiastic to achieve their goal. Now we can see that their hard work is paying off.
The triumph has come as a shot in the arm and is bound to further encourage, inspire and motivate aspiring young cricketers.
Nepali cricket has come a long way and is increasingly getting popular by the day. Despite adversity, the sport is thriving and played competitively at domestic and international levels.
And let us not forget we had success with our age group and women teams. All in all, they have achieved more than was expected in spite of pathetic infrastructural challenges.
Surely, we could have achieved much more if only Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) had performed and not promoted and protected their vested interests.
The biggest problem facing cricket, today, paradoxically is the so called guardian of the sport CAN. Without a doubt, it has failed to deliver on its promises and make any positive impact in last 30 years and is largely responsible for the sad state of cricket.
Not surprisingly, cricketers are sans basic infrastructure facilities, well structured national domestic cricket, integrated youth development programs and sponsorships.
Inept management and political interference has virtually strangulated Nepali cricket for decades. CAN should be kept free from politics and not allow politicians and unprofessionals dictate terms.
Predictably the government promptly announced cash rewards to players. Likewise, people from all across the political spectrum wasted no time to heap tons of praises on players for their accomplishment.
The bitter truth is that the government has no interest whatsoever in sports. They don’t give a damn and have done absolutely nothing to improve the situation.
They cannot afford not to care anymore .If they truly want to ensure that cricket grows and flourishes professionally they must step in and take up the responsibility to turn things around. They need to do more than just felicitating players and singing songs in praise of the victorious team.
The main stream media joined the chorus, glorifying the team’s epic success. Ironically, this is the same media that has consistently turned a blind eye to the root causes of problems that needed/needs to be addressed.
They have literally refrained from reporting the facts and holding the government and CAN accountable for the sorry state of cricket.
The media needs to be more liable and positive while addressing critical issues. They have to maintain steady and constant pressure on authorities responsible.
It is high time that we make sure cricketers’ hard work and success are not in vain anymore. Otherwise Nepali cricket will go nowhere.
