Cricket in Nepal

Cricket is the second most popular sport in Nepal, catching up with football as the country's most popular sport thanks largely to the spread of television to the rural communities and qualification of the national team in the 2014 ICC World T20 in Bangladesh.

Nepal's playing season runs from September to November and starts again in March before finishing in May. The National Cricket Academy, NCA was formally opened in January 2013 by the Cricket Association of Nepal to guide emerging players and to provide continuous training facilities to the men's national team, under-19 team and the women's national team.[1]

As of December 2012, there were 429 senior cricket clubs and 227 junior cricket clubs in Nepal.[1]

History

Beginnings

Cricket was introduced to Nepal by the ruling Rana dynasty following the return of members from studies in England in the 1920s. Though the game was kept very much for themselves and other members of the elite, the Cricket Association of Nepal was formed in 1946 to promote cricket amongst the aristocracy.[2]

When King Tribhuvan overthrew the Rana regime in 1951, cricket began to spread to the rest of the population. In 1961, in an effort to promote cricket in the whole of Nepal, the Cricket Association of Nepal became part of the National Sports Council. Nevertheless, the game tended to be limited to Kathmandu until the 1980s.[2]

ICC and ACC Membership

Improvements to the communication and transport infrastructure in Nepal allowed the game to expand outside Kathmandu in the 1980s,[2] and Nepal became an Affiliate Member of the ICC in 1988.[3] A major development programme was begun in the early 1990s, with regional and district tournaments established and cricket being promoted in schools.[2] Nepal became an Associate Member of the ACC in 1990 and became a full member in 1994.

Interest in cricket increased quickly in the 1990s, and demand to play was such that the number of teams in tournaments had to be restricted until more facilities were built.[2] Nepal became an Associate Member of the ICC in 1996,[3] which was the year the national side played for the first time, in the ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur. Nepal finished fourth out of six teams in their first round group in this competition, beating Brunei and Japan.[4]

Governing Body

The Cricket Association of Nepal is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in Nepal. It was formed in 1946.

Competitions

Cricket Grounds

There are 65 grounds in Nepal with 17 turf wickets.[1] International matches can be played only at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground.[5] A new international standard ground is under construction at Mulpani, Kathmandu and another is going to be built at Pokhara with some help from the Asian Cricket Council.[6]

The following are the major cricket stadiums in Nepal.

Men's National Team

The Nepal National Cricket Team represents Nepal in international cricket matches.

They have been participating in international matches since 2013, including every ACC Trophy tournament,[2] the 2001 ICC Trophy[7] and two ICC Intercontinental Cups.[2]

Nepal also has an under-19 cricket team.

Women's National Team

The Nepal National Women's Cricket Team represents Nepal in international women's cricket matches. They made their international debut in the ACC Women's Tournament in Malaysia in July 2007.

Domestic Cricket

Domestic cricket is divided into 9 regions (Kathmandu, Janakpur, Birgunj, Baitadi, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Pokhara and Mahendranagar along with the APF and the Nepal Army). The men's and women's teams from these regions compete in One Day and Twenty20 matches in various age groups. [8][9]

Similarly, from 2014 onwards a franchise based event comprising Twenty20, One Day and Two Day tournaments was initiated.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Nepal". Asian Cricket Council. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Morgan, Roy (2007). The Encyclopedia of World Cricket. Cheltenham: SportsBooks. ISBN 1899807519.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1
  4. ↑ 1996 ACC Trophy at CricketEurope
  5. ↑ "Grounds in Nepal". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  6. ↑ Adhikari, Manoj (3 December 2009). "Int'l Level Cricket Ground in Pokhara". Republica. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  7. ↑ 2001 ICC Trophy at Cricinfo
  8. ↑ Scorecard of Wai Wai U-19 Women National Cricket Tournament 2013 at cricketingnepal
  9. ↑ Scorecards of Nepali national and International Cricket Matches at cricketingnepal.com

External Links