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Tremendous Form

As expected, Nepalese youngsters create one of the biggest upsets of the tournament although, unfortunately, missing the super league by a whisker

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Cricket, they say, is a game of numbers. Quite true. When Nepal missed a berth in the super league in the Under 19 World Cup Cricket tournament currently under way in New Zealand, it was by a single run.

"Had we bundled out Pakistan a run earlier, we could be fighting in the super league," Roy Dias, the Sri Lankan coach of the Nepalese team was quoted as saying. Having defeated tournament favorite Pakistan by 30 runs on January 22, Nepal had created a big upset. It had smashed Papua New Guinea by 65 runs on January 25. The only game it lost was to England and, that, too by a close 37 runs on January 21.

Nepalese U-19 team : Marvelous achievement

The same Pakistan team it had defeated went on to defeat England later and, by a sheer run of luck, entered the super league.

Now the country is playing the Plate Championship among the bottom eight teams of the tournament left out from the super league. Already the Nepalese team has heavily defeated Canada (by 9 wickets on January 28) in the match. Nepal will now have to play Namibia (on January 30) and Scotland (on February 1). The standing in the Plate Championship will earn Nepal ranking in the ICC, if nothing else.

Meanwhile, the magnificent streak shown by the young Nepalese cricketers was remarkable on all accounts. The batting line-up, earlier considered the weakest link, too, seems to be gaining ground. Players like Kanishka Chaugain, Bardan Chalise, Shakti Gauchan have shown great promises by their display overseas.

The brave display put up by the Nepalese youngsters gain new dimension if one takes into account the poor sports infrastructures and facilities they enjoy at home. Quite correctly, Dias was quoted in the BBC World Service as saying that ICC and ACC would do well by investing in the cricket infrastructures in the country.

"Nepal barely has one decent pitch and a couple of grounds," he said, praising the personal efforts put in by the cricketers. He also lauded the fact that the country, despite still not holding any two-day let alone test matches, fared so well in one-dayers.

Besides, the country's exclusive dependence on national players is another remarkable feat. Otherwise, whether it be the team of UAE or Kenya or Canada, there are many players whose origins can be traced to the Indian subcontinent.

Until now, the cricket drive in the country has been fuelled by the zeal among the youngsters alone. But the way they have made the country proud must make authorities sit up and give serious attention to developing the sport in the country in a grand way.