Kathmandu, January 15:

The National Sports Council (NSC) reshuffled the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) promoting Tanka Prasad Paneru as the general secretary while adding seven others.

Paneru was the treasurer of the committee and the NSC promoted him following the resignation of Damodar Suwal, who reportedly quit a year ago, said CAN President Binay Raj Pandey here today. Raju Babu Shrestha was nominated the treasurer, while NSC member Binod Mainali, Thakur Pratap Thapa, Diwakar Ghale, Rami Kaur, Naresh Shrestha and Chhatra Adhikari were added as the members.

Pandey also informed that Springwood of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd would be the official sponsors of the senior national team at home matches and Standard Chartered in the matches to be played abroad.

Earlier, the senior team at home matches were sponsored by Shikhar, also of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd. “The national team has been faring well, so we are sponsoring the team also to promote our brand,” said Saminder Roy, vice president of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd.

In 2008, the senior team is scheduled to play the ICC World Cricket League Division-V tournament in Jersey and the ACC Trophy in Malaysia. Nepal will qualify for the Division 4 tournament if they enter the final in Jersey. The World Cricket League is the run-up for the 2011 cricket World Cup to be held in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The senior team will also get an opportunity to play in the Asia Cup if they win the ACC Trophy.

Before embarking to Jersey, the national team will play at least a practice match against Marylebone Cricket Club in England. “We are trying to manage two other matches with the local clubs,” said Pandey. “With these efforts, we are confident that our players will get international exposure to win more laurels for the country and place nepal firmly in the international arena,” said Pandey.

Pandey also said that the CAN was organising the Springwood One Day National Tournament from March 15 to select the players for the national team. Before that, the district level tournaments will be held in February and the regional level in March.

Regarding the election of the six-decade long CAN that have been running under ad hocism, Pandey said the new committee would decide the date after the approval of the statute submitted to the NSC. Earlier, Pandey had assured of holding the election by December 2007. “Due to the ACC Under-15 Elite Cup controversy, we could not hold the elections on time,” he explained.

Pandey also said that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had apologised for their decision to disqualify seven teams from the Elite Cup held in Kathmandu in November-December accusing of fielding over-aged players in their squads. “But further details will be known only in the ACC Development Committee meeting to be held in March,” he said.