Embassy officials googly Nepal, bar it from ICC trophy

BY NARAYAN UPADHYAY

Kathmandu, June 22: Nepalese cricket team’s hope to play at International Cricket Council Trophy in Toronto from June 28 has almost ended as the Embassy of Canada in New Delhi rejected Visa for four Nepalese key cricket players fearing that they may over stay in Canada.

All the players and officials are now cooling their heels at a hotel in Kathmandu with a faint hope that some magic would happen and they would get the visa for Toronto where they have to reach by June 26.

The New Delhi based Canadian Embassy, however, did award visa for ten player and three officials, but refused to allow Nepalese team captain Raju Khadka and other three players the visa for Canada saying that they had the feeling that these four players might overstay in Canada.

"Either they should have given visa for more than ten people so that the team could have joined the ICC Trophy fray or should not have given visa for anyone in the team, but by giving visa for 10 players they wanted that Nepalese team not to participate in Canada," one of the sad looking players said.

"When we asked why we were refused visa, the official told that they had the feeling that we might overstay in Canada once the tournament is over," said one of the players of the team.

According to most of 14 players of Nepalese cricket the embassy officials tested team with their cricketing knowledge. The team captain of the Khadka, an alrounder and all the Nepalese cricket players were asked embarrassingly about outswing, inswing, googly and other bowling techniques.

"When I told him that I am a bowler in my team, the official started asking me about what outswing, inswing or googly bowling are," said another player barred of visa.

After the "interrogation ceremony", the unlucky four players were also asked to present evidences which may prove their being cricket players of Nepal. But unluckily all the request of Nepalese team and even the officials of Nepalese officials of Royal Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi, the Embassy of Canada did not budge and refused to award the visa for four players for ICC trophy, thus hampering Nepalese hopes to play the tournament.

Interestingly the cricket knowing Canadian officials, by allowing visa for only ten players, did not show their true knowledge that cricket needs eleven players in the ground and can not be played with ten men.

The tour looks almost cancelled because the team had to reach Toronto by June 26, said CAN’s vice president Pramod Kumar Upadhyay. Since four selected players were not able to move as they do not have visa the Nepalese team can not leave for their unless the Cricket Association of Nepal bring four new faces in the team and be able to convince Canadian officials that they are genuine Nepalese players and will not overstay in Canada.

But this too seems impossible because CAN’s three top brass are currently spending their time in England where they are attending an ICC meeting.