KATHMANDU: Binay Raj Pandey, President of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), has been awarded with the Lifetime Service Award by the Asian Cricket Council on Friday.

Pandey was recognised for his service to Nepali cricket for the last four decades. The award also means Pandey will be in line to win the Pepsi ICC Development Programme Awards slated for February 28 in Dubai. The ICC will declare award among the winners of the five continents.

Pandey has been at the helm of CAN since 2006. Before that Pandey has served the cricket governing body for 36 years as a General Secretary. He was one of the five CAN office bearers to be honoured with the ICC Centenary Award last year.

Meanwhile, Nepal was also honoured with the best Junior Cricket Initiative Award and with it will also be in contention for global award. The ACC has selected seven regional winners for this year's Pepsi ICC Development Programme Awards.

The Development Programme Awards recognises and rewards the efforts of Associations and individuals who promote cricket in their countries. "It was difficult to select the Asian winners this year since there were so many to choose from. There was very close competition but we really do appreciate the entries and I would like to wish all Associations the very best as they go forward into the global reckoning," ACC Development Manager Bandula Warnapura was quoted as saying in the ACC website.

Previously Nepal was also honoured with two ACC awards in 2007 — Junior Cricket Initiative and Photo of the Year (Sudarshan Ranjit, Pokhara). Region-V (Nepalgunj) also won the Best Women's Cricket Initiative Award in 2006. Likewise, in 2003 the-then CAN President Jay Kumar Nath Shah was honoured with the Lifetime Service Award and the Nepali cricket with the best Cricket Promotion and Marketing Programme Award.