Kathmandu, May 2

Nepal Advisory Board, formed by the International Cricket Council to resolve the long-standing crisis in cricket, today pledged support from all quarters.

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Cricket Players Association of Nepal (CPAN), co-convenor of the Advisory Committee Basant Chaudhary said his team needed support from all the stakeholders of the sport and the government to establish order and avoid possible expulsion from the world governing body.

“We have been working as per the guidelines of the ICC and we have a very little time to finish things up,” said Chaudhary. “The so-called stakeholders of the sport need to step back as we have to prepare and submit the amended statute to the ICC in a month time,” he added. “If we cannot do so in the given deadline, a very unfortunate situation will arise in Nepali cricket and we all will be equal responsible for the tragedy,” said Chaudhary.

Chaudhary said the Advisory Committee was ready to make public. “A couple of officials need to rise above their self interest and we need the commitment from the government,” he said.

Minister for Youth and Sports Daljit Sripaili said the ministry was ready to help the Advisory Committee. “It is already late as the Advisory Committee could not come up with concrete resolution on time. The ministry will study the statute and we are ready to support in the better interest of Nepali cricket,” he added. The interaction programme came a day after the ICC Board said the ICC Full Council “should consider the expulsion” of USA Cricket Association at its meeting in June “because the organization has failed to co-operate with efforts to unify cricket in the United States”.

Like in Nepal, the ICC had formed the Advisory Committee in the US after suspending the membership.

Member Secretary of the National Sports Council Keshab Kumar Bista claimed that the ICC would not take any action against Nepal. “You do not need to panic as I am sure that the ICC would do nothing against Nepal,” he said. Going out of context, the Member Secretary said that the NSC was doing a lot of works in domestic level. “We have organised a couple of tournaments and are about to announce the biggest tournament of the country with Rs 1.6 million as the prize money for the winners.”

National team skipper Paras Khadka said the CPAN came up with the interaction programme to bring all the stakeholders at same platform and do some concrete job. “As the Cricket Association of Nepal is suspended, there is no authority in Nepali cricket and we felt the need of a common platform where all the stakeholders could share their views,” added Khadka, who is also the General Secretary of CPAN.