INTERVIEW
Follow UsFrom being in a situation where they could potentially lose their ODI status to now rubbing shoulders with teams like India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup, Nepal’s journey over the last six to seven months could very well turn into a superhit Bollywood movie.
The change started when Monty Desai took charge of the side in February this year. With a couple of coaching stints under his belt, Desai took charge of the Nepal side, who had a mountain to climb. Losing the ODI status, which they gained in 2018, would have been disastrous. They would not just have had to wait for an entire cycle to regain it, but they would have had to do away with substantial funding from the ICC as well.
Moreover, that could have forced many talented cricketers in the side to pursue their careers elsewhere. Before Desai became the head coach, there were a few who had brief stints with the national team. There was no sense of continuity or direction, which caused a bit of unrest in the dressing room.
Also Read: Yet another stepping stone for Nepal as they brace for Asia Cup challenge
Desai’s first task was to change that frown upside down.
“More than unhappy, they were not sure in which direction they were heading. That's the clarity they needed,” Desai said in a chat with Cricket.com ahead of Nepal’s Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan on Wednesday (August 30).
“When you have a cloud covering and don't what's going to come, what the future is like...some of the boys jokingly said, if they had not retained ODI status, they would have gone into some other job or field. I was not aware of that part. This was all the conversation we had after the great run of winning the last 11 out of the 12 games in League 2.
“One of the things I really enjoyed so far is that they have embraced this one-ball battle theory [a theory that each and every ball is a separate battle of its own] very clearly. When you are aware of what challenges are being thrown at you, whether you are batting, bowling or on the field it allows you to bring your awareness at the right place and then know what the task is in front of you and dive into your roles and execute them.”
Nepal had an unbelievable run in the ICC CWC League 2, winning 11 of their final 12 games, allowing them not just to retain their ODI status but also to finish third, allowing them a direct entry into the World Cup Qualifier. They had a few impressive performances in the tournament, most notably a 99 by Kushal Bhurtel against Zimbabwe and some brutal hitting down the order by Gulsan Jha, who scored an unbeaten 57 off 42 against Ireland. They are more than just Sandeep Lamichhane, you know!
They also won the ACC Premier Cup at home, through which they qualified for the Asia Cup. What sparked this turnaround? Desai that the freedom for each player to communicate openly was key.
“One is obviously the trust we have been able to build with each other together. The mutual respect the players have. There will be differences of opinion, the discussions are open, and the freedom for the youngest player to voice it. I think that is part of our success factor,” Desai explains.
“Also leadership. I imagine a young captain like Rohit [Paudel] in a situation of what was going around with the national team. For him to come in with a purest mind. We are having a wonderful partnership together. For him to do sincere homework with whatever games we are going to play against whichever opponent it is, so far has been great. The leadership also extends to each and every player and how they manage themselves.
“I would give a little bit of credit to CAN [Cricket Association of Nepal] management as well. I know they are not perfect, we are not perfect, none of us are perfect. But we have been having a lot of open dialogues. That has been one of the feedbacks I have received from some of the leaders is the consistent conversation that we have been having to understand how to work from the ‘ecosystem’ rather than the ‘ego-system.’ That has also really worked well. I do believe in the power of collective leadership.”
All their toil and sweat will finally bear fruit as Nepal take on two of the top three ODI sides in the world, starting with the No. 1 ranked side, Pakistan in Multan and later on India in Pallekele, who are the third-ranked side going into the tournament. Do Nepal hold a chance?
There’s no denying that the Rhinos deserve a place in the six-team tournament. They brushed off competition from nine other sides to book their place in the competition.
“It's an opportunity for us to show our abilities, not just as a team but also individually everyone who has got the potential to be seen by the whole world. If we put up a good show it's a strong statement for all the other full-member nations to see Nepal as another great team to be looked into more regularly. We want to use this opportunity to show us that we belong here. I think the excitement is all about that to put up a show,” Desai said of what Nepal want to achieve in the tournament.
Desai, who has in the past associated with teams like Andhra and Rajasthan Royals (RR), has also urged the passionate fans to show some patience. The craze for cricket in the country was evident when they were willing to stick around despite rain interruptions, and when no seats were available, they were happy to watch the action atop of a tree.
“We have seen this craze in India. But the first-hand experience of seeing it in TU [Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground] was amazing for me. They are very passionate. They also get upset when the wins don't come. They are probably expecting us to beat all the Test nations straightaway,” Desai said.
“My urge and request to the Nepal fans would be to show a little bit more patience. This is a young team and we are just walking into these Test nations for the first time competing against them. In fact, what I remember from this year is that the three opportunities that we got against Test nations was in the World Cup Qualifiers, where we played against Zimbabwe, West Indies and Ireland. Game after game we stepped up. We came very close to beating Ireland in the last game.
“So, my request to the fans is to look through all this and understand what the Nepali players are doing right now. I think whatever they have achieved so far, they should be proud of it and I am sure they will show that attitude and energy on the ground to fight and put themselves in a position at least in phases where the game can go either way.”
While Nepal may not have a W against the Test-playing nations, there’s no denying that they have been dominant. To put things into perspective, Nepal have won 15 of their 20 ODIs under Desai, and before that, they had won just 15 from 37 ODIs.
Nepal are surely heading in the right direction and regardless of what happens in the Asia Cup, they can be proud of their rise. Moreover, they have a crack at playing the T20 World Cup next year and as a cherry on top, they can book themselves a place in the mega event at the qualifiers at home later this year. Don’t write the Rhinos off just yet.
