Jagdishor Panday
Recently, Nepali cricket has been in lime light after uplifting two trophies. Nepali team led by dynamic captain Paras Khadka won two cricket series-- One-Day International and Twenty20-- against the UAE in their home soil.
Both series carried three matches each and in the both occasions Nepal came from 0-1 down to won the series 2-1. Surprising it was the first time Nepal won the series after getting ODI statues from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Of course, the contribution of all the players including officials and coaching staffs was appreciated. On that long list, the captain cool and all-rounder of the team Khadka was mostly appreciated for team’s success.
He collected four wickets in three ODI matches and collected 156 runs, a highest run scorer in the tournament, including 115 individual score runs, to become the first Nepali player to score a century in the ODI, during the third match of the series. He only got 54 runs in three Twenty-20 matches.
He performed well during the ODI series but could not score and take a wicket as much as he wanted during Twenty-20 series.
Even though, his contribution was worthless for Nepal. Khadka was crucial man to guide the team to victory. His captaincy on and off the ground guided the team to achieve the feat.
The potential of Khadka reflect on one line which Nepal’s former coach Pubudu Dasanayake used to share with me. During his tenure in Nepal (2011-2014), Dasanayake said that captain Khadka was the one man army. That means, he could do anything-- bowled, bat, field and lead the team-- whenever team requires.
If you could go a decade years ago and trace his cricketing journey, the potentiality of Khadka clearly reflects.
It was 2009, when the Cricket Association of Nepal (now facing suspension band from the International Cricket Council) appointed Khadka as a Nepal’s new captain. Replacing Binod Das was not an easy task for young captain Khadka. He was 24 at that time. At that time Nepali team was in World Cricket League Division-5.
When Khadka led the team, it would be like jokes if someone says Nepal will play cricket world cup in future, and Nepal will get One Day International Status later.
But he led Nepali team converted those jokes into reality by achieving one after another successes.
Under his leadership Nepal won Division-5 in 2010 in Kathmandu and became champion of Division-4 in 2012 Malaysia.
Then, Nepal won Division-3 and found a way in Division-2 where it paved the way to ODI status. In the middle of that on short format of the cricket game in Twenty-20 Nepal even played the World Cup in 2014 in Bangladesh.
Nepal not only participated at the World Cup but also dragged eyes of international cricket lovers at Nepal.
The key person to these successes behind was Khadka. After taking charge of the team, he gradually is taking Nepali cricket team into success.
When he was appointed captain one few of cricketing fraternity knew him and cricket in Nepal was over shadowed by the football. Ten years after Khadka not only became superstar of the country, but also took cricket as an emerging sport of the nation. Even a child wanted to play cricket looking after his success.
The most important part of Khadka was that even though Cricket Association of Nepal has been going through long dispute since 2011, his performance inside the cricket ground didn’t reflect.
Disputed CAN which has been facing suspension from ICC has been doing nothing to develop cricket in Nepal. So, Khadka has been a monitor of Nepali cricket journeys.
Khadka who has been playing from early 2000 from age groups is a crucial player in Nepali cricket. His mission, vision and positive thinking took Nepali team in this level.
I think Nepali cricket wants more from this man and he can deliver as well. But the government of Nepal should solve the dispute in Nepali cricket and make an appropriate environment to play game for players.
In 2013, Khadka cried during the facilitation program at Annapurna Hotel in Durbar Marg, where he said the team was fed off with dirty politics in Nepali cricket.
So, the government should not create that movement again to him. The government should solve the dispute of CAN whereas Khadka could focus only on games. That could be ideal way for him as well as for Nepali cricket.
After the tournament, Khadka had mentioned that he was delight with the way the Nepali cricket team display past a few weeks. He also said that Nepali Cricket needs this kind of momentum. But he stressed that the problem of CAN should be solved as soon as possible by the government.
In his leadership, Khadka not only performed himself but always brought new players like Sandeep Lammichhane, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sundeep Jora, Rohit Poudel and so on. Sandeep has been a global star now. Khadka is happy with is young collogues. He thinks these players can take Nepali cricket in next level in future. For now, he just wants to enjoy cricket and give some more trophies to the nation.
Khadka has become positive symbolic leader of Nepali cricket, since 1996 when Nepal started its international journey, after giving team one after another success from 2010 onwards. We are still waiting many more success and trophies under his leadership in future too. Now, the government should act to develop cricketing infrastructure in the country. Running after Dhurmus-Suntali Foundation, who is going to construct a cricket stadium in Chitwan, is not good enough job of the government. Khadka also wants to see some better act from government side for development of cricket in Nepal.
(The writer is the author of the book Bishwa T-20 Cricketka Sarathiharu)