There was a time in the horizon of South Asian cricket when the rivalry between Nepal, Afghanistan, and the UAE was considered the ‘Triangle of Associate Cricket.' When these three teams took the field, it was difficult to predict the outcome. There was an interesting cycle of the UAE putting Afghanistan under pressure, Afghanistan giving Nepal a tough challenge, and Nepal defeating the UAE.
To find the roots of this, we have to turn the pages of history. The foundation of cricket in the Indian subcontinent was laid by the British in the 18th century. Long before Bangladesh gained independence from East Pakistan, a well-organized club culture and school-level cricket structure had taken root there. In contrast, cricket entered Nepal much later, in the 1920s. And that too only for the entertainment of the elite of the Rana dynasty.
It was only after democracy came in 1951 that the game reached the masses beyond the palace walls. It was a big challenge for Nepal to try to emulate the administrative and technical experience that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had accumulated over centuries in a few decades. While cricket had become a ‘culture’ in its South Asian neighbors, in Nepal it was still limited to a game of ‘desire’ and 'struggle.'
The success story of Afghanistan is even more enticing and inspiring. Strong political will and international exposure are the main reasons behind the flourishing of cricket in a war-torn country. The Afghanistan Cricket Board did not let its domestic structures and academies die even in difficult circumstances. Their players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi improved themselves by playing in the world's big leagues, which developed 'match awareness' and the ability to handle pressure. Although Nepal has a wealth of talent, its players have not been able to get enough international exposure. Except for Sandeep Lamichhane, our progress has not been as expected due to the lack of regular opportunities on the world's big stages. While our players were struggling due to the lack of international home grounds, Afghan players made the world-class grounds of India and Sharjah their 'home grounds' and set out on their journey as a Test nation.
The biggest obstacle to the development of Nepal's cricket was administrative instability and politics. The long dispute within the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the ICC's suspension ruined an important period of Nepali cricket. While Bangladesh and Afghanistan were focused on building academies and stadiums, Nepal's cricket administrators were engaged in a war of words. That dark time of suspension not only halted the physical infrastructure but also threw the players' morale and financial future into doubt. The situation where a player has to worry about his future instead of focusing on the game has not strengthened the foundation of professionalism. This administrative vacuum has caused a huge setback to Nepal's natural progress.
Another irony of ours is the 'U-19 paradox. Nepal becomes a 'giant killer' by defeating the best teams in the world at the youth level, but those players lose out when they reach the senior team. Once the time comes to cross the teenage age, Nepali players have two options: either to struggle in cricket with their future at stake or to migrate abroad for a secure future or choose other options. In Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, young players get financial security as soon as they become known at the national level, but in Nepal, the basis for considering cricket as a career is not yet ready until they reach the heights achieved by limited names like Paras Khadka.
This has forced many of our talented players to flee the game. The condition of the infrastructure is even more pathetic. The Mulpani Cricket Stadium has been under construction for more than a decade. The lack of an international-level venue other than the TU ground in Kathmandu highlights our lack of preparation. Nepal's narrow 4-run loss to a powerful team like England in the 2026 T20 World Cup proved our ability, but the forgettable loss to newcomer Italy soon after showed that we have talent, but we lack the 'mental conditioning' and domestic structure to sustain it. Afghanistan has learned to win close games, but Nepal is still not free from the fate of 'coming close and losing,' like the 1-run loss to South Africa in the 2024 World Cup.
A strong mentality that must win in sports can only be achieved through continuous training and experience. Currently, private sector efforts like the Nepal Premier League (NPL) have provided financial relief to players, but the dream of becoming a Test nation cannot be fulfilled through T20 alone. Our technical side will remain weak unless we invest in ‘red ball’ and multi-day domestic structures like Afghanistan’s ‘Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-Day’ tournament. Nepal has some of the most passionate supporters in the world, who shed tears when the team loses and celebrate when it wins. This ‘fan base’ is our great strength, but now the passion of the fans alone is not enough; the association has also decided to introduce 50-over and 4-day formats for tests, which are considered a game of patience. There was a time in the horizon of South Asian cricket when the rivalry between Nepal, Afghanistan, and the UAE was considered the ‘Triangle of Associate Cricket.' When these three teams took the field, it was difficult to predict the outcome. There was an interesting cycle of the UAE putting Afghanistan under pressure, Afghanistan giving Nepal a tough challenge, and Nepal defeating the UAE.
However, today the cycle of time has turned in such a way that Afghanistan, which has just been exhausted from the war, has become a strong force (full member) of world cricket and is challenging the likes of Australia and India. While Nepal is still struggling in the vortex of the same associate structure. Two decades ago, when Bangladesh got Test recognition, Nepal was also in the running, but while Bangladesh made a leap, we are still stuck in the narrative of “playing well and losing." To find the roots of this, we have to turn the pages of history. The foundation of cricket in the Indian subcontinent was laid by the British in the 18th century. Long before Bangladesh gained independence from East Pakistan, a well-organized club culture and school-level cricket structure had taken root there. In contrast, cricket entered Nepal much later, in the 1920s.
And that too only for the entertainment of the elite of the Rana dynasty. It was only after democracy came in 1951 that the game reached the masses beyond the palace walls. It was a big challenge for Nepal to try to emulate the administrative and technical experience that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had accumulated over centuries in a few decades. While cricket had become a ‘culture’ in its South Asian neighbors, in Nepal it was still limited to a game of ‘desire’ and 'struggle.' The success story of Afghanistan is even more enticing and inspiring. Strong political will and international exposure are the main reasons behind the flourishing of cricket in a war-torn country. The Afghanistan Cricket Board did not let its domestic structures and academies die even in difficult circumstances.
Their players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi improved themselves by playing in the world's big leagues, which developed 'match awareness' and the ability to handle pressure. Although Nepal has a wealth of talent, its players have not been able to get enough international exposure. Except for Sandeep Lamichhane, our progress has not been as expected due to the lack of regular opportunities on the world's big stages. While our players were struggling due to the lack of international home grounds, Afghan players made the world-class grounds of India and Sharjah their 'home grounds' and set out on their journey as a Test nation. The biggest obstacle to the development of Nepal's cricket was administrative instability and politics. The long dispute within the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and the ICC's suspension ruined an important period of Nepali cricket. While Bangladesh and Afghanistan were focused on building academies and stadiums, Nepal's cricket administrators were engaged in a war of words. That dark time of suspension not only halted the physical infrastructure but also threw the players' morale and financial future into doubt. The situation where a player has to worry about his future instead of focusing on the game has not strengthened the foundation of professionalism. This administrative vacuum has caused a huge setback to Nepal's natural progress.
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