• 'Suspend cricket governing body for up to three months' • 'Scrap NepalT20 contract with Indian company Seven3Sports'
KATHMANDU, JANUARY 25
The investigation committee formed by the National Sports Council to probe irregularities in the NepalT20 Cricket League submitted its report to NSC Member Secretary Tanka Lal Ghising recommending that the sports governing body should take stern action against the executive committee of the Cricket Association of Nepal.
Convenor of the committee Ekendra Kunwar said the CAN had breached a number of clauses of the Sports Development Act 2020 while handing over the rights of NepalT20 to the Indian company, Seven- 3Sports, and the executive committee was responsible for irregularities.
"The CAN was found to have violated regulations stated in the Sports Development Act and it should be held accountable for irregularities in awarding rights of NepalT20 to Seven- 3Sports," Kunwar said.
"They did not follow provisions of Article 28 and Article 44 while roping in Seven3Sports as strategic and commercial partner of NepalT20 and the committee has recommended that the NSC should take stern action against CAN as per Article 29," said Kunwar.
As per Article 28(a), national associations need to take approval from the NSC before organising national and/or international tournaments in the country, while Article 44(2) states that the sports associations need to take permission from the Ministry of Youth and Sports via the NSC before signing any contract with foreign governments, organisations, or individuals.
Article 29(2) allows the NSC to suspend the national association for up to three months for not following procedures properly.
"As we did not want turmoil in Nepal's cricket and push it into the dark, we have recommended that the NSC should suspend the CAN executive committee from one to three months," said Kunwar. "The probe committee's decision will also prevent a group of people, who wanted to serve their vested interests at the expense of Nepal cricket," he added.
The five-member committee also recommended that the NSC should revoke the NepalT20 Cricket League contract with Seven3Sports and hand over documents to the Central Investigation Bureau, which has been investigating irregularities in the tournament, including spot fixing. "We have decided to coordinate with the CIB in their investigation and provide them with all the necessary documents we have collected," said Kunwar.
In its four-point recommendation to the NSC, the investigation committee also requested the sports governing body to communicate and discuss possible ways to resolve the issues.
"We have prepared the report without anyone's influence and it is based on findings of the committee," Kunwar said. According to him, the committee interviewed seven players, four CAN officials, experts, and sports journalists before reaching conclusion.
The CIB has already arrested two cricketers - national team all-rounder Aadil Ansari and former Nepal international Mehboob Alam - for their involvement in spot fixing. In a press meet yesterday, the CIB said a total of 10 individuals - including players, officials, and team managers - were involved in spot fixing in NepalT20, which was held at TU Stadium from December 24 to January 11. Six franchise-based teams took part in the ill-fated event that came under scrutiny from the beginning.
Nepal Police and NSC formed separate probe committees after reports of fixing surfaced and cricketers protested against their teams for not paying their salaries.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 26, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
