'Himalaya Putras': Nepal cricket team battle odds for their moment of glory

The Nepal cricketers seemed a bit startled as a handful of fans journalists and camerapersons jostled for their time after the net session at the indoor facility hereThey were even coy At home or even during the Associates tournaments buzz of this magnitude has been unfamiliar to Nepalese cricketersBut they are now playing the Asia Cup 2023 standing alongside the big boys India and Pakistan in Group AIt is a surreal experience for us I can now feel how cricketers from India and Pakistan are being followed by fans and media Nepal captain Rohit Paudel told PTIThey earned that chance to rub shoulders with the powerhouses after their win in the ACC Premier Cup earlier this year beating UAE in the finalBut the flashlight on players from the Himalayan nation is not blinding enough to make them forget about the rough roads they had to traverse to reach this pointWe dont have too many facilities back at home We need to come to Kathmandu from our villages to do proper cricket training It is tough but we had to do that to be in touch ahead of matches said GC Pratish a bowling allrounder from Pyuthan village of NepalAlso ReadExumpire Piloo Reporterrsquos pleasing personality stood out for cricketersSandeep Lamichhane is the only player in Nepal who has some exposure to top level professional cricket for a sustained periodThe legspinner has been part of Delhi Capitals in the IPL besides appearing in various other leagues like CPL BBL PSL etcLamichhane has seen the hard work the Nepalese players had to put in to climb the ladder from close quartersEverybody now sees that we are playing in the Asia Cup But hardly anyone knows the hardships we had to go through to reach here Most of these players are living outside Kathmandu as far as in Far West and Central NepalThey need to come to the city to train live in rented houses away from family It is tough on them But they are aware of the need to make sacrifices to write a story for themselves It is the love of cricket that drives them he saidHowever enthusiasm can only drive a team this muchLamichhane underlined the need for more fund flow into Nepal cricket to maintain the strides they have already takenMany of these players are associated with the Army or Police clubs giving them a chance to train in offseasons Some are under contract with Nepal Cricket Association too said LamichhaneBinod Kumar who is accompanying the team as manager noted that Nepal needs to improve its domestic cricket circuit to keep the supply line of players intactSadly our domestic structure is not good It mainly revolves around three departmental teams Nepal Police Nepal Army Nepal Armed Forces and a 7team provisional tournamentIt runs for 2 to 3 months as we dont have proper stadiums but we do have some grounds But we are working with ACC and ICC to mobilize the resources We are also reaching out to corporates and promoters for funds said BinodNepal head coach Monty Desai is aware of the issues surrounding an upcoming cricketing nation like NepalWhile admitting that the team needs more time to settle into international cricket Desai has been impressed by the determination of his playersFrom what I have seen these players have a lot of determination and they are selfstarters They are ready to go any distance for cricket and that has kept our dressing room a happy space said DesaiDesai has extensive coaching experience with teams like UAE Afghanistan West Indies and with Rajasthan Royals in the IPLIn the past he was also associated with the Nepal Under19 team Hence Desai is aware of the challenges of working with an Associate nationThere are budget restrictions and the infrastructure is still developing It is not like working with a ICC Full Member team We need to work around limited resources but that is a challenge that I am excited to go through and we are in it together said DesaiUnderstanding that they need to stay together as a team Lamichhane said he is eager to pass on the experience to the next generation of Nepal playersYou get nothing easy at this level I am ready to assist them in cricket and in life That is my duty as a senior player in the sideWe are hoping to make a good impression against India and that will be a boost for them and Nepal cricket Hopefully that will make corporates invest in our cricket more said LamichhaneThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever