On the morning of November 8, Jonty Rhodes was seen at Kirtipur International Cricket Ground, coaching the players of Pokhara Avengers. After the end of the coaching session, Rhodes talked to the Onlinekhabar. Rhodes is a popular cricketer of South Africa, well known for his fielding skills.
During the 1990s to 2000s, Rhodes created a buzz in the entire cricket fraternity through his prowess in fielding.
The Mentor
Lately, Rhodes,55, has become close with the Nepali cricket team. Earlier Rhodes has visited Nepal twice. This time he has to come to Nepal as a mentor of Pokhara Avengers, a franchise team of Nepal Premier League, slated to take place from November 30 at Kirtipur International Cricket Ground, Kathmandu.
Jonty Rhodes is one of the biggest names that has ever come to Nepal as a cricket coach. Lately, he has been engaged, coaching various franchise teams. During the conversation, he appreciated the Pokhara Cricket Stadium.
“Pokhara has a good facility for cricket, it has a picturesque stadium,” says Rhodes, “Pokhara Cricket Stadium has great potential.” He says that as a former cricketer and a fielding coach, he will share his cricketing experience with the players, which he hopes will be an extra advantage to the players.
Hopeful about Nepali cricket
Rhodes is also happy and excited about the participation of a number of foreign players in the NPL. He is hopeful that Nepali players will learn many new things from them.
Not just young players, even the senior players can garner knowledge from those foreign players, says Rhodes, “This is a good indication for the future of Nepali cricket.” Rhodes also said that Nepali cricket has changed a lot since he came to Nepal six years ago.
“Nepal’s participation in international matches has increased over time,” he says. He adds that the team needs more domestic matches to improve its quality. Nepali cricket fans want the national team to play more international matches.
Support NPL
According to Rhodes, the only aim of Pokhara Avengers is to win the trophy. Beyond winning the trophy, the improvements among the young players are also another important thing. Speaking to the Onlinekhabar he also said that NPL can be one of the best platforms for young players.
“Nepali cricket has wider possibilities,” he says, “I want to see the progress of the Nepali cricket team.”
When asked if he wants to contribute to Nepali cricket in the long run, he says, ‘Paras Khadka, Secretary of the Cricket Association of Nepal, has my contact information. He can reach out to me anytime, and I am always ready to help the Nepali team. He also urged the fans to support NPL.
“The support of fans is always important. They have supported the national cricket of Nepal in all kinds of situations. The audiences are also a stakeholder of Nepali cricket,” says Rhodes.
