Upgrade Cricket Infrastructure

Bini Dahal

Nepali cricket is at its brightest point right now. Nepal recently defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the finale for the ACC Premier Men’s Club. Owing to rains, the finale game had lasted for two consecutive days — May 1st and 2nd. Nepal tasted victory after it won over the UAE by seven wickets and easily met the target of 118 runs set by its competitor. The overall performance of the country in this tournament highlights that it holds the potential to play well and reach newer heights. What is necessary is that the players should be provided with the right opportunity and plenty of motivation. 

This victory has opened the road for the Nepali cricket team to now compete in the Asian Cup that will also have cricket teams from India and Pakistan. While the game is expected to be held in upcoming September, there exists a tussle between India and Pakistan. Pakistan is the organiser for the tournament while India is not open to play in the former's ground. So, for now, the Pakistani Cricket Board has come up with an alternative that the upcoming matches could be played somewhere else.  

Amidst such an uncertainty over the venue, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), in its recent press release, has proposed that the government make the effort to organise the forthcoming matches in the country itself. It has requested the Prime Minister to lobby on this matter during his impending visit to India. The idea does sound great and it would be an important opportunity for the country as well. But we cannot run away from the ground reality. We have failed to develop top-notch sports-related infrastructures. This has hindered our ability to facilitate such bigger games in the home ground.

While the motivation and hard work of the Nepali team will remain crucial, the government should also be proactive for a successful cricket match. In the games held on Monday and Tuesday, we saw avid fans of cricket standing even in the rain with umbrellas just so that they could cheer on the Nepali cricket team. It was the hard work of the team and the motivation that had played the magic. Much still remains to be done from the government’s side. Boosting up the confidence of the players is essential. As they are the pride of the nation, they deserve to due respect and recognision.  

While giving cash prizes to the sportsmen is a good form of motivation for them, it is not the right solution. Good coaching is what is equally necessary. The players need to have enough practice and regular tournaments so as to encourage them to move ahead and improve their performance. Enhancing the standards of domestic cricket infrastructure also needs to be given priority. For this, proper planning and sufficient investment are essential. In coming years, hopefully, the country will have all the necessary infrastructures that could facilitate international games in its home ground itself. 

This dream can surely be achieved with necessary efforts and collaboration among the different agencies within the country. Nepal has worked really hard to get into the finals of the fresh game. Let us hope that the country will get the opportunity to play the game with its neighbouring countries-- India and Pakistan-- in September. This will be a big opportunity and a matter of pride and prestige. It will also contribute towards the development of cricket, which still remains nascent in the country.