Paras Khadka wants Nepal to ‘pull off a few surprises’

Paras Khadka wants Nepal to seize their opportunity at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, to not only make a dash for the tournament proper next year, but also show the world just how far cricket in the Himalayan country has come.

“I'm glad that we have come this far," said the 30-year-old captain, who is also one of the team's batting mainstays. "We want to play good cricket and show the world that Nepal is also one of the upcoming nations.

“There’s going to be a lot of good teams out here, trying to compete for those two spots [to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019]. We want to get into the Super Sixes first and then dream of going to the World Cup. So it’s going to be exciting.”

In Nepal, the fan support is immense. It could add to the pressure, but Nepal have ridden it well so far, winning nail-biting games at the ICC World Cricket League Division Two last month to make the cut for the qualifiers.

“It’s crazy! Back home we have massive fan following and the support that we get is amazing,” said Khadka. “Just to come out of the Division Two and come to the qualifiers, it’s been an amazing journey. We had some tight games but we managed to pull through every time. I hope we can carry that momentum here.

“We are very, very keen. Everyone is looking forward. It’s just now about going out there and delivering and expressing ourselves. We’re here to express ourselves.”

Nepal have the youngest team at the tournament. While Khadka, Shakti Gauchan and Basant Regmi are past 30, there are a number of talented youngsters – like the much talked-about Sandeep Lamichhane – who make the average age of the squad only 24.

Youthful exuberance, however, won’t disrupt the team’s drive and determination, Khadka stressed. “Everyone is focused. It’s just about how you handle the pressure situations, because there’s going to be a lot of good players, good teams pushing you. Age is just a number.

“It’s about the brand of cricket we want to play instead of bothering about the others. Play to our strengths, and if we play to our strengths we will definitely be able to pull off a few surprises.”

The graph of the cricket team is on the rise, and Khadka pointed to the team’s spirit and unity, as well as shared desire to take the game further in their country, as the main reason for their success.

“We’re a tight unit. One of our biggest strengths would be our team spirit. The camaraderie among us on and off the field is very nice. For me, personally, it’s very easy managing the boys, talking to them, motivating them. Our goal and ambition is the same: to make Nepal cricket grow and take it further.

“So everyone is pushing themselves to achieve that target. It’s amazing – playing with a group of players, a group of friends that you’ve played with for so many years.”

Nepal’s first game in the qualifiers is against hosts Zimbabwe on 4 March, followed by fixtures in Group B against Scotland, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.