Runs away from home | Maiidan

Nepal caught the cricket bug only recently but our young cricketers, who brought home glory many times, have helped the game grow by leaps, bounds, and runs. Now, international clubs are showing interest in Nepali players.

Mehboob Alam of the Nepali cricket team was invited by a club in Qatar last year. Shakti Gauchan, batsman, is playing for a C-Div Club in England. Raj Kumar Pradhan has just received an invitation from Australia's UTS Balmain Cricket Club officials, who saw this off-spinner perform at Nepal's World Cup qualifying match. "It's a great opportunity for him," says Jaya Kumar Nath Shah, president of Cricket Association of Nepal, "but clubs that sign up our players must release them when the country asks." Though the team-mates are going places, there's a hitch, says sports journalist Sudin Pokharel, "Most of the good U-19 players go abroad to study. They feel insecure and start looking other jobs." But some like Aamir Akhtar play cricket for their college team and earn good money.

In an interview with WAVE, 22-year-old captain of the Nepali cricket team, Binod Das, talked about the spirit of the Nepali team. Excerpts:

WAVE: What do you think of Nepali cricketers being asked to play by foreign clubs?
BINOD DAS: It's a great opportunity for our players. It helps them grow confident, builds their match temperament and contributes financially also. They gain experience and that's the only way to improve the game.

What about their responsibility towards the national team?
That remains the same. They must be available when the country asks. But the players need to think of their clubs too. They need to get their priorities straight. For me, playing for the national team is the greatest honour.

You have been invited by international clubs also.
Yes, I have received a few. Recently, Hong Kong's Kowloon Cricket Club made me an offer. They wanted me to play from September but because of my commitment towards the national team in October, I cannot go. They are trying to sort out the contract. If everything works out, I will play for them later.

Does CAN approve?
I talked to the board members about my contract with Kowloon Cricket Club and they seemed happy for me. They said they wanted our players to get exposure and were ready to help. They did ask me to be available for the national team, which is fair.

What do you think of cricket in Nepal now?
It's grown well and is still growing. We have reached a certain level but it will take time to improve competition. We need more matches happening and tougher opponents.

Can you make a living out of cricket?
I still can't imagine living comfortably off cricket, there's not enough money involved. But everything comes with time. Maybe later, cricketers will enjoy playing the game while earning well.

When is your next big match?
We will play against Malaysia from 14-16 October in Kathmandu.

A memorial league

Martyr's Memorial San Miguel 'A' Division League Football tournament, the premier league of Nepal, began on 26 August at Dasrath Stadium. Two matches will be hosted daily at Chyasal Technical Centre and Dasrath Stadium in double league format for next five months. Around 210 games will be played—each team will play 28 games and the final two will be relegated to B-Division. NTV will broadcast high profile matches. There's plenty of prizes to be won in this big budget event. League champions win Rs 10 lakh, runners-up get Rs 7 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Fourth, fifth, and sixth position holders receive Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh each. The Fair Play award comes with a purse of Rs 50,000. Yamaha is giving away six motorbikes to Best Goalkeeper, Defence, Mid-Fielder, Forward, Scorer and Best Coach. The Most Valuable Player gets a car. Also, Himalayan General Insurance is providing insurance for players and referees. This is probably the most rewarding event in Nepal's sports history.

Renaming Three Star

Three Star Club has been renamed Nabil Three Star Club after the bank signed an agreement of Rs 8 lakh for a year. This alliance is the biggest monetary investment in a national club in Nepal's professional football history. The club's logo now has the bank's logo in it. Three Star Club will be featured in the bank's promotional campaigns and they will also be endorsing merchandise like jerseys, caps, and flags.