ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers: Nepal - Trekking greater heights in cricket

Paras Khadka of Nepal

Nepal is a country that’s known for mountain ranges and the Sherpas who provide invaluable assistance to mountaineering enthusiasts; for its tourism locales and the unique triangular shape of its national flag. Sports, while dear to the people, has never really accounted for a headline-worthy performance. Until now, that is.

All it took to change the face of Nepal’s presence in the world of global sports was a thrilling victory over Hong Kong in the ICC T20 World Cup qualifier, catapulting the nation into a never-before-seen atmosphere of sporting glamour.

Though the ripples of this qualification promise to be far reaching, the significance of this accomplishment is such that it can never actually be quantified. For a nation that has been mired in political unrest and uncertainty, where infrastructure for sports and its development are almost negligible, this qualification has seen the resilience and determination of the Nepalese players come through, right at the end, when it mattered the most.

It wasn’t so long ago that the cricketing world was cheering the inclusion of yet another troubled Asian country into the international fold. Afghanistan’s meteoric rise through the cricketing ranks alongside the steady development of its presence in other sporting avenues has been a constant source of news the past couple of years. But where the landlocked Central Asian country’s developments have constantly made the news, the turmoil and the strife that have plagued Nepal for quite a while have been eerily muted. To the outside world, all seems to be well in the mountainous region even as its people battle constant upheavals that mock the very semblance of normalcy.

For the cricketers themselves, there weren’t any easy roads that they could take. Where other cricketing countries have an array of first class teams to choose from when it comes to playing practice matches, the Nepalese team had none at their disposal, forcing them to travel to the Indian capital to play a few practice matches. The elitist treatment that most cricket players enjoy in India wasn’t available in the slightest for the Nepalese cricketers. They had to make do with what they had while ensuring that their performances outweighed the resources that they had under at disposal.

At the beginning, it did seem like an insurmountable task looking at the other teams in the fray in the same group. Placed in Group B along with Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Bermuda, Kenya, Denmark and the Netherlands, hoping that Nepal would made it to the T20 World Cup made for an excellent pipe-dream. Even the cricketers themselves didn’t think that they had it in them to make it to this big a cricket stage, until a few years ago.

Nepali fans in the stands

It took the hiring of a foreign coach to change the self doubts in the minds of the cricketers to confidence and self-reliance. That the very first person the Nepalese captain – Paras Khadka – thanked in his post-match speech happened to be their coach – Pubudu Dassanayake – wasn’t surprising considering the enormity of the feat that the Sri Lankan-born had helped to achieve.

Last ball victories too take on a different meaning after observing the excitement that brewed in the last over of the Nepal-Hong Kong qualifier. While last over gasps are common in T20 matches and the target of 13 runs in six deliveries seemed easily gettable by any other team, the heroics of Sharad Vesawkar are a stand-out for the sheer brilliance in the face of the inexperience of playing in such circumstances.

Vesawkar’s gutsy shots that saw the first two deliveries rake in 10 runs more than made up for the see-sawing match proceedings. The inconsistencies that marred both teams turned out to be inconsequential at that time, the true tipping point of the entire match.

The target, the run-chase, the controlled bowling and the excellent fielding work – they all led up to that final over. At that moment, it was an airtight contest between the ball and the bat, between two teams that had hit and missed quite a bit, in equal proportion.

Both teams craved and vied for the win. For a win would not only signify a qualification to the 2014 World Cup, but would also take the winning team to the semi-finals of the qualifying tournament. A position that would add greater weight for the victors, going a long way to making a bigger impact for them on the global cricketing front. Self-destruction by choking was an ever present threat, making both teams susceptible to loss.

The last-ball four by Vesawkar thus becomes immortal. Where bigger cricketing names have faltered at the last minute, audaciousness giving into foolhardiness, Vesawkar’s comportment to hold on to his nerves and take his team through is a victory rivalling some of the other best the sport has ever seen.

It is truly an honour for the sport that Nepal would be taking their rightful place at Bangladesh, come 2014.