Paras Khadka, a veteran Nepali cricketer proved his worth once again by winning the Dhangadi Premier League. Under his captaincy, Nepal has won several international tournaments, including 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Five, 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three and 2014 ICC World Cricket League Division Three. An idol of many aspiring cricketer, Paras has left no stone unturned when it comes to make our country proud.
World Cricket League is on the way, are you excited?
In total, there will be four matches and if we want to improve our position we need to win all of them. All the participating teams are strong; thus, we are preparing for it but still we have enough time. Our first opponent will be Hong Kong. Hope by October, we will be fully prepared to play against Hong Kong.
Was cricket your childhood dream?
No, I never thought of being a cricketer as a child. I was more into study however, used to play various games like basketball, cricket, football. While I was in class 10, I participated in an under 15 inter school cricket tournament as a captain. Later I came to know it was a selection match. We won the tournament and was selected to play at regional level in Kathmandu. Till I was in under 19, I hadn’t thought of playing nationally. At that time, I was thinking of going abroad for my further education. But, I was doing well as a cricketer so eventually, I decided to make cricket my career.
Very few domestic tournaments are held in Nepal, what do you want to say about it?
Firstly, we don’t have proper infrastructure. And then heads of Cricket Association of Nepal should be more responsible and should improve the current situation of cricket.
Your take on Impact of politics in Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and Suspension by ICC.
Politics has its own importance in every field. There is both good and bad aspects of politics. CAN was not suspended because of politics. It was suspended because of its working pattern and irresponsible attitudes of CAN heads. CAN heads should be answerable; no matter they are from political field or any other field, they should have zest to improve cricket.
Introducing DPL, Subash Sahi set an example. Is it possible to held big tournaments like IPL in Nepal?
Yes, it’s possible but IPL is one of the biggest cricket tournaments so it’s quite difficult to held matches like that. ‘Subash Shahi’ did not hold any position in any cricket association but driven by the love of cricket, he thought about holding the domestic league and as a result created a brand DPL. With such a limited budget if this is possible then in coming days with more investment we can hold proper national leagues.
How bright is the future of Nepali cricket?
Nepalese cricket have a very bright future. But it’s difficult to move forward until we have good management. The biggest challenge at present is that our players are not getting the facilities. It’s very important to give our player better exposure and facilities in order to improve cricket. The craze of cricket we have in Nepal is very high. A proper strategy can take Nepali cricket to next level.
In comparison, you are that player that stays in pitch for long time? What inspires you most while you are on the pitch?
Cricket is a team game. Yes, every individual player has their own strength and as a player, everyone tries hard to make score or take catches. But without a good team you are nothing. The strongest factor of Nepalese cricket is its unity.
People criticizes cricketers by saying that if you win you says it’s because of the dedication players have but if you lose you put the entire blame to the government. What you have to say about this?
Whether we win or lose one thing is constant and that’s poor infrastructure. Criticisms will always be there but we, the players have never blame government for our failure. However, it’s a universal truth that Nepali cricket has managed to reach in this position solely because of the players and coaches. If we talk about management, it is limited to paying hotel bills and give wages to players. That’s not development. We still don’t have ground to play. If players and coaches had not performed well, we would have never achieved so much.
Any message to the future rhinos.
The future of cricket is bright. There are lots of opportunities. You will have a good career as a cricketer.
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