With the cricket calendar so packed and the schedule just relentless, it’s nearly impossible to soak up and appreciate some achievements. But a few still stand out. Nepal’s stirring run of 11 wins from 12 matches to make it to the World Cup qualifier for the third time was one much, as was the encore that the players delivered by winning the ACC Premier Cup. That second triumph ensured that Nepal would play in the Asia Cup for the first time, in a group that includes India and Pakistan.
Sports fans love a Cinderella story. We love a giant-killing. Nothing beats the buzz of watching a prodigal son or daughter lift themselves up from the depths of despair to reclaim a place on the podium. Those are the moments we remember, the images that never fade.
Think of Zimbabwe beating Australia at the 1983 World Cup. An Australian team that had Allan Border, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Kim Hughes. Duncan Fletcher, who would later coach both England and India, was the star performer. Think too of the World Cup on the subcontinent in 1996, when Kenya – playing their first World Cup – skittled mighty West Indies for just 93 at the Nehru Stadium in Pune. Seven years later, the Kenyans would reach a World Cup semifinal, and exit only after giving India a fright.
Zimbabwe missed out on a last-four place in 1999 only on net run-rate. Ireland have beaten Pakistan, England and West Indies at the World Cup. All these victories and eye-catching campaigns have a special place in cricket lore, but none of these Cinderella stories have a happy ending. After midnight, the coach becomes a pumpkin again, and the ball gown mere rags.
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Kenya lost their ODI status in 2014. Zimbabwe and Ireland didn’t qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Cricket’s underdog mantle has been carried by Afghanistan for the past decade, with the country producing a bunch of hard-hitting batters, skilful spinners and aggressive fast bowlers. The first steps may have been taken in refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, but it helped that a cricket culture took root on Afghan soil, with the game having a passionate following in most parts of the country.
The problem for Kenya, Zimbabwe and others like the Netherlands and the UAE, is that the player pool is nowhere near deep enough. In several countries, cricket is a game played by the expatriate population, usually the South Asian diaspora. If not that, then cricket is a blip on the sporting landscape. Kenya, for example, is famed for its great athletics tradition. The Netherlands is a football nation, while Ireland is obsessed with football, rugby union and even hurling. Cricket is seldom able to attract the best young athletes. You may build a side around an expat professional or two and reach a couple of major tournaments, but in the long run, that’s no model for sustained success.
This is where Nepal has the chance to be another Afghanistan. Even more than half a decade ago, videos of crowds watching cricket matches in Nepal started going viral. Thousands of mobile phone lights switched on in unison, a wall of noise, and the kind of passion found in few parts of the world.
They have also managed to unearth world-class talent. In 2020, Paras Khadka, their former captain, was a nominee for the ICC’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade award. Gyanendra Malla’s performances also caught the eye. And in more recent times, Sandeep Lamichhane’s leg-spin impressed talent scouts enough for him to earn an Indian Premier League contract, as well as gigs in franchise-based competitions in Australia, the Caribbean, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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Rohit Paudel, who led Nepal as they qualified for the Asia Cup, is the next name to get cricket fans buzzing. There are plenty of others too. It may be a small country, without the resources of other associate nations, but in terms of the talent pool, Nepal are a match for anyone.
The decline of Kenya and Zimbabwe can also be traced back to corrupt and erratic administration of the sport. As the great Brian Lara once said about the West Indies, it’s pointless to talk of the players’ discipline when those running the game can’t get their act together. Nepal have already started their own T20 league, which provides a pathway for upcoming talent. The key now is to put other structures in place, and make sure that they get enough matches against strong sides.
In this context, even inviting state sides from India for matches as they prepare for a domestic season would be a positive step. There is also a precedent of foreign sides being given guest entries in some of India’s domestic competitions. Along with their international commitments, this would be one way for Nepal’s players to get more exposure.
The feel-good factor around Kenya or Zimbabwe cricket didn’t last very long. The administrators saw to that. For Nepal to buck that trend and join Afghanistan at the top table, it needs a concerted effort from everyone on the cricket pyramid. The players, led by the outstanding Paudel, may be the most important building block, but they cannot do it alone.