Team Nepal’s skipper Paras Khadka was recently taken to Delhi for a checkup. Having cleared tests there, Khadka is now back on the pitch practicing for the World Cricket League fixtures against Namibia, which is going to be played in Nepal in a few weeks. Onlinekhabar talked to the skipper about his health and the team’s preparations for the two matches.
You recently came back from Delhi. How’s your health now?
I am well. I had gone to Delhi to seek second opinion about my health report. Now I am fit to play, and I am here practicing.
The ICC has finally decided to host the game in Nepal itself.
Well, I am very happy to hear the news. It’s been over 2-3 years since we last played an international match in Nepal. The atmosphere we get in Nepal, we don’t get the same outside Nepal. We will definitely have the home ground advantage against Namibia.
How has the team’s performance in Division I been so far?
Unfortunately, we lost all our matches in first two rounds. There were matches where we lost by a few runs or a few wickets. We lost matches that were in our control. We have realised that at this level, we need to stay focused for the entire 100 overs. All teams are very competitive, and they have been preparing well for the tournament. I think if we can win 4-5 rounds, we can definitely book a place in the World Cup qualifiers.
How has the dispute in the cricket association affected the team’s preparations?
Every one knows what is going on, when it comes to the dispute in CAN. But that should not be an excuse to not perform. We need to make the best use of opportunity we have. In international cricket, performance is what counts, saying that our association is in trouble is no excuse. We have always had a bad administration, but now things are worse. The team’s performance on the ground is not the only thing that will determine the future of Nepali cricket. The administration also needs to perform off the field.
If we set the dispute aside, are you happy with the preparations?
The players are competing for a spot in the national squad. In 2-3 weeks we will come up with a list of 18 players for the matches. At the individual level, all players are putting in lot of effort to improve their performance.
Do you miss Pubudu (who was until recently Nepal’s coach)?
Pubudu has had the biggest role to play in helping us reach where we are right now. Definitely, we miss him. But Jagat guru is also a good coach. He is doing well. I don’t think the coaching staff will be managed before the dispute in CAN is resolved.
What would be your biggest strength going into the match against Namibia?
Our biggest strength is that we play well together as a unit. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do just that. The dispute in the association is there, but we should also take some responsibility for the results.
What has been the biggest letdown so far?
Our finishing has been the biggest let down. We lost one match by three runs; this was a match we were set to win. As a team, we are backing each other and I hope that this time, we’ll improve.
What do you think the biggest challenge for the team would be against Namibia?
Namibia are equally competitive. Their strength is in their batting. But it will also come down to conditions. We beat them in their home ground few years ago. They are also preparing well. We are also preparing as we will face countries like the Netherlands and Hong Kong in the later stages of the league.
The U-19 squad recently made it to the second round of the World Cup. Will some of the players in the U-19 squad get an opportunity this time? How does the tournament set the tone for the future of Nepal?
It is very positive. The U-19 team made it to the second round after 16 years. There are 4-5 players who performed really well. But other than those players, the association does not know what the others are doing, are they even playing cricket or not.
The U-19 players’s performance feeds into the national side. Every one understands that he needs to fight for his position in the squad. Given the time and preparations we have, we will select 18 of the most in-form players for the tournament.
The T20 WC is being played in India as we speak. Do you miss being there?
Obviously. We are sad that we aren’t there. We aren’t there because of our own doing. We did not play well in the qualifiers. In fact, the entire team was out of form. I am sure there will be more opportunities in the future; everyone in the team wants to play the 50-over World Cup.
