National cricketers receive allowance

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) handed over the monthly allowances to the national team cricket players here today.

The cricket governing body had decided to provide the cricketers with Rs 5,000 per month in November last year, after the committee led by Tanka Angbuhang took rein of the cricket governing body. National Sports Council Member Secretary Yubaraj Lama handed over the cheques to the players.

Ten cricketers — who represented Nepal in the ACC Twenty20 Cup and ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers — received Rs 30,000 each, while eight others, who were part of both the ACC Twenty20 and ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier squads, received Rs 15,000 each as the allowance of six months.

Among the players who participated in both the tournaments were skipper Paras Khadka, vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, Prithu Baskota, Sanjam Regmi, Basant Regmi, Anil Mandal, Sharad Vesawkar, Mehboob Alam, Pradeep Airee and Amrit Bhattarai.

Former skipper Binod Das, Subash Khakurel, Binod Bhandari and Rahul BK were the team members of the ACC Twenty20 Cup held in Kathmandu on December 3-11, while Chandra Saud, Shakti Gauchan, Paresh Lohani and Krishna Karki participated in the ICC World T20 Qualifier held in the United Arab Emirates on March 13- 24. They got Rs 15,000 each.

CAN also felicitated the members of the Nepali team that finished seventh in the 16-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers with Rs 10,000 each. CAN general secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel said the association has decided to honour the team that qualified for the ICC U-19 World Cup, from the ACC Under-19 Elite Cup held in Ireland from July 28 to August 9 last year with Rs 10,000 each. “The players will be handed over the amount during the camp for the World Cup that will start in a couple of days,” he said.

Pyakurel said they would continue providing the allowances to the 18 players and would decide about the next contract in days to come. “We will continue with this system until the next tournament. We will evaluate their performances and assess their discipline before making further decision,” added Pyakurel.

CAN President Angbuhang also announced the Cricket Players Welfare Fund. “We are gradually implementing our plans and programmes,” said Angbuhang. “We are on working on setting up a temporary Cricket Academy at the TU Stadium premises,” added Angbuhang.