Nepal should aspire for more international exposure by participating in bilateral and multilateral series involving bigger cricketing nations, not only associate nations.
Recently, UAE toured Nepal for a two-match T20 International (T20I) cricket series, a bilateral series for Nepal after more than one year. The series ended with one each result. This series was organised just before the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup League 2 One-Day International (ODI) tri-series also involving Oman.
Of late, Nepal has been performing consistently well in international cricket. In February, Nepal participated in the ICC Men's T20I World Cup and played all its league matches in the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On Nepal's first match, the Wankhede Stadium erupted in a sea of Nepal's national colours and buzzed with Nepal chants.
It was a historic moment for Nepal to compete against England, the birthplace of cricket, in an T20I World Cup match. The match was equally balanced until the last ball, and Nepal never appeared to be an inferior cricketing nation against England. The match swung back and forth, with both teams enjoying brief periods of advantage. However, the result of the match stridently conveyed to the world that Nepal is no more an associate cricketing nation but is all set to embark on a higher level of cricket.
After a hard-fought bout in that fixture, England ultimately won the match to claim two points, but Nepal won the hearts. The big names of international cricket and international media wholeheartedly praised Nepal after its exquisite performance in that match.
Nepal's performance during the previous T20 World Cup was also up to the mark –the highlight being a narrow loss by one run against South Africa in 2024. That performance had created a buzz in the cricketing world for some time. Unfortunately, Nepal didn't get a single opportunity to play against the bigger teams after that World Cup, except for a bilateral series against West Indies that Nepal won. Notably, majority of the players in that West Indies team were newbies. In addition, Nepal consistently performed well in the leagues constituting associate teams that unlocked Nepal's doors for the recently concluded World Cup.
On the domestic front, the latest edition of the Nepal Premium League was a big success that drew the attention of the cricketing world. These incidents imply that Nepal has consistently delivered whenever the opportunity prevailed, especially in smaller events. In a bigger stage like the World Cup, Nepal has performed well in a few big matches, but the inexperience in coping with crunch situations, Nepal has often faltered, even against associate nations.
Except for the match against England, Nepal's performance was below average in other matches of the T20I World Cup. Despite that, Nepal has shown great ability to claim its stake in the upper pedestal of global cricket. The team is largely performing well; the professionals are admiring Nepal's performance. We have to capitalise on this rare opportunity by acting decisively and efficiently.
In recent times, India has escalating tensions with most of its neighbouring cricketing nations. We can utilise this precedence in our favour as Indian cricket professionals, journalists, and general public are wholeheartedly praising Nepal. At the moment, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) holds a major stake in international cricket. Over that, it also has an indirect sway over the ICC. Hence, Nepal should try to positively utilise the sentiments of the Indian cricket fraternity to establish formal and close contacts with these organisations for receiving necessary support.
Nepal should aspire for more international exposure by participating in bilateral and multilateral series involving bigger cricketing nations, not only associate nations. For that, associate nations should unanimously urge the ICC to regularly organise series involving associate as well as full member nations. There should also be certain reservation for players from associate members in the international leagues involving full member countries. Moreover, regular grooming programmes should be organised for the players from associate nations. Given the consistent performance over the last few years in international level, Nepal should take the initiative for such propositions on behalf of the associate nations.
Over the last few years, cricket has become our national passion and a uniting factor. Therefore, policies that support and prioritise the sport are strongly needed. The first and foremost requirement is improving and upgrading cricketing infrastructure. Only one cricket ground with international standards is not enough for the players to train and prepare themselves for top-notch international tournaments. The players' raw talent can only be refined through rigorous training that meets international standards.
Nepal also needs to organise more national, regional, and local leagues that run throughout the year. Talent scouts should be deployed to all such league matches to identify extraordinary players. We definitely have talented players scattered throughout the country. If those talents could be identified, extracted, and nurtured, we can confidently lock horns with the bigwigs of world cricket.
Nepali cricket is prospering by leaps and bounds. Hence, we should move forward by building on our consistently improving performances in the global cricketing arena. The big names of cricket are praising and voluntarily offering support to our team. We have to grab this opportunity to enter the upper pedestal of the global cricketing arena. We have already knocked on the door of the world cricket with authority. Now, it is only a matter of time before we not only narrow the margins of defeat against the bigger teams but also begin to defeat them with confidence.
Dr Joshi is a senior scientist and independent opinion maker based in Germany
pushpa.joshi@gmail.com