The Nepal cricket team is currently in a closed camp to prepare for the triangular series against Namibia and Scotland that’s part of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.
After months of uncertainty, cricketers in Nepal even have a coach like Monty Desai officially named head coach on Monday.
Desai has been putting the players to the test for over a week as he plans to make sure Nepal does well in the home series against Namibia and Scotland which starts on February 14. He says the team is ready to fight, but given what has happened over the course of the last month or two, it will be interesting to see how ‘ready’ Nepalese cricketers are.
The points fixing case during the recently completed Nepal T20 League has rocked Nepali cricket. It has not only shaken the Nepal Cricket Association but also the players and their psyche.
The arrest of the companions.
The contest organized by the CAN has been embroiled in controversy from the beginning. But things got ugly when Spot fixing reports surfaced.
A preliminary investigative report from the Central Bureau of Investigations (CIB) even claims that some franchise team owners together with the strategic and commercial partner of the league also participated in the arrangement of advertising spaces.
Accused of supporting fixers, former cricketer Mehboob Alam and the versatile Adil Ansari were arrested by the Nepalese police and are currently behind bars.
The arrest of these two has affected the current crop of Nepalese cricketers as most of them had admired Alam who became a household name in Nepali cricket after taking all the 10 wickets against Mozambique in 2008. The 19-year-old Ansari, on the other hand, is friends with many of the current players.
The CIB is still investigating the point fix case. He has not said anything officially but the names of some cricketers from Nepal are being discussed as those who are involved in the points fixing due to their performance in the Nepal T20 League. This has raised fears among cricketers that they may also be charged with fixing up the venue.
A current member of the national team says that, in the past, all they had to deal with when they didn’t play well was criticism. But now, he fears that people will accuse him of correcting mistakes if his performance isn’t up to par.
“This has been playing on my mind ever since this case came to light. I have started to doubt myself, ”he says, wanting to remain anonymous.
Team members are selected based on matchups and the condition of the terrain. The players feel that if the risk taken by the captain or the player does not pay off, they will be accused of fixing.
Common Sword of Damocles
The performance of cricketers, like any other sport, will not be the same in every match. In some games, players do exceptionally well, while in other games, things can be quite the opposite. That being said, some Nepalese cricketers feel that their character might be called into question during the ongoing series due to what happened in the Nepal T20 League.
“They can call me a repairman at any time. It’s scary and frustrating,” says a national team cricketer.
Former cricketer and coach Manoj Katuwal says fans and supporters of the game will surely feel this way when CAN’s strategic partner has been accused of match-fixing.
“How will fans trust cricketers when the atmosphere has been so negative?” he questions. “It is sad to see that the innocent cricketers of Nepal now have to face pressure and play with fear in their hearts and minds because they don’t want to be called fixers.”
Rohit Kumar Paudel the captain of the Nepal national team, says he too is afraid that people will accuse him of fixing matches when he does not play well.
But he says all he and the team care about is winning games for the country.
“Fixing is a serious matter. But we are trying not to let it affect us and we are concentrating to do well in the series and trying to block out all the negativity that comes from the outside,” says Paudel.
all terrain Dipendra Singh Airee He says that since the points fix is based on a person’s thinking and behavior, he is focusing solely on the cricket not to let it affect him.
“You have to be honest with yourself and with the game. If you listen to outside noise, you will get unnecessarily anxious,” says Airee. “I try to stay away from negativity. Every time I play, my whole focus is on hitting, pitching and fielding and getting better at all three aspects of the game.”
Opener Kushal Bhurtel says the Nepal T20 League point-fixing incident has taught Nepalese cricketers a great lesson. He understands that if a game doesn’t go in Nepal’s favor and he doesn’t play well in the game, accusations of fixing will come his way.
“We don’t want to hear about point fixes and we’re completely focused on winning every game and we’ll give our 100 percent for the same,” says Bhurtel.
