The Former Australian Coach Bobby Simpson helps Nepal (19 Nov 1999)

19 November 1999

The Former Australian Coach Bobby Simpson helps Nepal

When the Australian Cricket Board lost the majority of its best players to World Series Cricket, it turned to Bob Simpson to lead the recovery.

Now, with the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) about to see one of its teams play to a world stage for the first time, the Under 19s World Cup in Sri Lanka in January, the former Australian captain and coach has again been called into action.

As part of the ICC's Development Programme, Simpson has been in Kathmandu since last Saturday in close camp with the Nepalese Under 19s team where he will remain until November 24.

Once Simpson returns to Australia, the Under 19s will continue training under B.Bhatnagar. The ICC will assign another coach to train the team in the month before the Cup, which will be held from January 11-28.

Bob Simpson will tell you all about his trip to Nepal in the next edition of 'Cricket Around The World' in a fortnight's time.

To further gauge the needs of the CAN, ICC Global Development Officer, Ross Turner, and the ICC's Asia Region Development Officer will visit Nepal from November 20-23.

Already the ICC is assisting the CAN by providing astro turf, bowling machines, nets and other playing equipment. It also intends to establish an annual softball cricket tournament. As a forerunner, it will arrange exhibition games at the St.Xavier School in Kathmandu in February.

The CAN's push to establish itself a major centre for 'offshore' cricket will gather pace early next year when the Nepalese senior national team will host the 'A' teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The tournament will be held in either February or April.

The national team will be selected at the 16th Jai Trophy, to be held in Rajbiraj in the third week of January. The team selected at the national inter-District competition will also play in the ACC Trophy in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates in October.

A Six Aside Tournament was organized jointly by Hotel Soaltee Crown Plaza & Cricket Association of Nepal at Tribhuwan University Cricket Stadium on October 30 - 31 and November 1.

CAN President Jai Kumar Nath Shah provides this report:

"A total of sixteen teams - Nepal Grindlays Bank, Hotel Radisson, Pakistan Embassy, Nabil Bank, Surya Tobacco, Kantipur Publication, British Gorkhas, Nepal Bangladesh Bank, Hotel Yak & Yeti, Himalayan Bank, Sri Lankan Embassy, Indian Embassy, Cricket Association of Nepal, Everest Express and Soaltee Crowne Plaza participated in the tournament.

The opening day witnessed only 10 matches as against 16 scheduled earlier.

Hotel Yak & Yeti began their campaign in winning note as they posted a 33 - run victory over Himalayan Bank in the Pool A, the first match of the tournament that followed the inauguration. They also scored a comfortable six wicket win over Sri Lankan Embassy to stay at the top of the pool alongside Surya Tobacco with four points each. Surya Tobacco defeated Sri Lankan Embassy and Himalayan Bank by 21 runs and 11 runs respectively. Himalayan Bank beat Sri Lankan Embassy by four wickets to earn two points.

Likewise in Pool B, Everest Express held the pole position on four points with two victories over Indian Embassy (20 runs) and Hotel Radisson and Indian Embassy both beat Grindlays Bank to pick two points for a joint second position.

In the day's other match, British Embassy scored the highest innings total of 107-1 to beat British Gurkhas by a comfortable 42 runs. British Embassy's A Mitchell became the first player of the tournament to self retire, after scoring 33.

There were four sixes on the day, two players - A Mitchell and T Troy from British Embassy and one each from Hotel Radisson - Rakesh Papil and Surya Tobacco - S. Dhungana.

The second day of the Soaltee Super Sixes Tournament, held at Tribhuwan University's Cricket ground, saw Yak & Yeti and Everest Express enter the semifinals. Both teams managed to garner six points each, taking them to the top of their respective tables.

In the day's total of ten games played, Yak & Yeti comfortably beat Surya Tobacco by six wickets and Nabil Bank beat Soaltee Crowne Plaza, in a close finish, by ten runs. Likewise the Kantipur Publication pulverised Nepal Bangladesh Bank by a victory of fifty runs. While Hotel Radisson's Pupil scored two sixes, Kantipur's Parash scored 33 runs not out (having to retire after scoring 31 runs).

In the same way in the following games the British Embassy beat Nabil Bank by a margin of five wickets while Nepal Bangladesh Bank beat the Pakistani Embassy by just one wicket. In the same way, Soaltee Crowne Plaza defeated British Gurkhas by close margin of six runs and Nepal Cricket Association hammered Kantipur Publications to a four wicket defeat. The British Gurkhas again lost to Nabil Bank by thirty runs. Kantipur's Parash once again had to retire after scoring 32 runs.

Soaltee Crowne Plaza and Nabil Bank scored the day's team centuries (101 and 103 respectively). Pakistan Embassy's M. Mohiseen also managed to hit a six.

On Monday, November 1, British Embassy defeated Kantipur Publications by nine runs in the finals to lift the Soaltee Super Six-a-Side Trophy that featured 16 corporate houses.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat, British Embassy posted a total of 95 runs, thanks to an attractive 38 by Andrew Mitchell who was later declared the Player of the Tournament.

In reply, Kantipur started disastrously when it lost its inform wicket-keeper Parash Joshi in the very first over for eight. Joshi, who misjudged a full-length ball for a wide, had earlier remained not out on two previous innings. Joshi was later adjudged the Best Batsman of the tournament.

Earlier in the day, Kantipur received a walkover from Pakistan Embassy to enter the semis edging out the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) on a better run rate. It then posted a comfortable win over Everest Express in the first semi-final.

British Embassy, the other finalist, defeated Soaltee Crowne Plaza by four wickets to book a semi-final berth. It then defeated Hotel Yak & Yeti by 24 runs to get into the finals.

In total, 27 matches were played in the five-over encounter at the Tribhuwan University Ground over the three days which saw 16 teams locked in fun-filled encounters.

During the award ceremony, member-secretary of Nepal Sports Council Binod Shankar Palikhe congratulated Soaltee and CAN successfully holding the tournament and assured the Council's continued support for such initiatives.

According to CAN president Jai Kumar Nath Shah, Nepal holds a lot of promise as a center for sport tourism. He urged authorities to realise this potential. "There were times when tourists flocked into the Shangri-la. Then came the trekking tourists. Now we have to develop Nepal's sports tourism, " Shah suggested.

Ribhu Chatterjee, the General Manager of Soaltee Crowne Plaza announced during the award ceremony that the tournament will be held next year too, highlighting the tournament's theme "All Play and No Work" had become a success.

Others honoured by the organizers were ground staff Prem Sharma and Chandrawali Yadav, Technical Committee members Udaya Shamsher Thapa (Chairman) and Komal Pandey; Damodar Suwal, Suresh Pandey and Shashi Pandey (Ground Committee. Likewise, umpires and scorers Satyajait Jha, Himal Raj Giri and Ridhi Bhakta Pant were also given certificates during the award ceremony."

Player of the Tournament: Andrew Mitchell of British Embassy Best Batsman: Parash Joshi of Kantipur Publications Best Bowler: Hugh Moffet of British Embassy Most Elegant Player: R.R. Pandey of Everest Express Complete Player: Laxman Joshi of Nabil Bank Senior Most Player: Basudev Pradhan of CAN (59 years)