Kathmandu, November 11
The recently rejuvenated Asian Cricket Council, one of international cricket’s regional groupings, has decided to adhere to the International Cricket Council’s interim decision on participation of Nepali teams in international tournaments until the local association’s dispute is resolved.
The ACC, which recently established its HQ in Sri Lanka and announced the ‘rejuvenation’ of the council ‘demerged’ by the ICC, will allow Nepali teams to participate in its flagship Asia Cup tournaments, but the squads will be selected by coaches and captains of the respective teams, and not the members of the disputed Cricket Association of Nepal.
The ACC’s decision clears confusion in Nepal over the participation of the women’s team and the U-19 squad in their respective Asia Cup tournaments to be held in the next few weeks.
Following the ICC’s decision to suspend CAN in April, rival groups (‘ad hoc’ and ‘elected’) continue to fight legal battle over authority to govern the game in the country. In August, however, general secretary of the ‘elected’ CAN Ashoknath Pyakurel attended the ACC’s key meeting to inaugurate its HQ in Sri Lanka. Pyakurel had claimed that the ACC has recognised his group, and would correspond with him on matters related to cricket in Nepal.
However, the ACC wrote to stakeholders of the game earlier this week authorising national coach Jagat Tamatta and women’s side coach Raju Basnet to select players for the two tournaments. It has also decided to give local logistic management responsibilities to Bhawana Ghimire, the ICC’s coordinator for Nepal. The ACC will release funds for closed camps and other expenses.
When Nepal hosted Namibia for the World Cricket League in April this year, the ICC had decided to authorise Ghimire to make logistic arrangements, and coach Tamatta and captain Paras Khadka to select the Nepali squad.
Nepal’s women’s side is to take part in the Asia Cup in Thailand, which is to begin on November 26. The U-19 Asia Cup will kick off on December 10 in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the ICC is preparing to send a delegation to Nepal to sort out differences with the government on the proposed advisory committee to review CAN’s statute and form an interim cricket body in Nepal.
