Thursday, February 6, 2014

A tale of hard work, fate and tears


Sharad Vesawkar smashed three sixes in six balls, Kenya v Nepal, ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, Group B, Dubai, November 16, 2013
Sharad Vesawkar was instrumental in helping Nepal realise their dream © ICC/Getty
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Series/Tournaments: ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
Teams: Nepal
On November 16, Nepal were chasing 183 against Kenya, who were favourites to win the Group B encounter in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai. They needed 17 runs off the final over. In the middle were the captain, Paras Khadka, and Sharad Vesawkar. As soon as the tall Vesawkar hit the first of three sixes to win the match, his team-mate Sagar Pun began to cry. Pun, a 20-year-old batsman, was padded up because he was the next man in, and he cried louder as Vesawkar took Nepal closer to the target.
"Matches like these only bring the emotions out easily. Imagine if a wicket had fallen and he [Pun] was the next man in, what might have happened," Khadka tells ESPNcricinfo from Abu Dhabi with a chuckle, explaining Pun's reaction.
"Everybody was so keen. Everybody was pushing themselves. Every one of us believes in fate. Every one of us believes in God."
According to Khadka, his players have worked "double" the amount they usually do, for this tournament. "The belief was always there. But in the T20 format you just never know which way the game can swing," he says. "There is no substitute for hard work, even if it might take time. Three years ago, four years ago, five years ago if anyone had asked us, do you want to play a World Cup, our answer would have been - maybe yes. But how do we go about it?"
On Wednesday afternoon, in the dry heat of Abu Dhabi, Vesawkar and Khadka found themselves in the middle once again, with Nepal's fate in the balance. In the quarter-final against Hong Kong, with a spot in the World Twenty20 at stake, Nepal needed 26 off the last two overs. With 10 balls to go, Khadka attempted a risky second run and was dismissed. Nepal now needed 13 off the final over, from medium-pacer Haseeb Amjad. Vesawkar started the over with a straight six and then bottom-edged the next ball to the fine-leg boundary. With one ball to go and scores level, all the Hong Kong fielders were inside the circle. Vesawkar's powerful off drive pierced the field to deliver the most important victory in the Affiliate nation's history. Nepal had qualified for the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.
Nepal's journey through the tournament in the UAE had been tense. They might not even have made it to the knockouts, if not for a fractionally superior run rate to Scotland. At the end of the group stage, Nepal and Scotland were level on eight points. They were separated only by a net run rate calculated to the fourth decimal: Scotland had 0.3792, while Nepal had 0.3794. "I do not know how they calculated, but we had the belief. We had the hunger," Khadka says, still unable to comprehend what his team achieved.
Vesawkar confesses that the significance of their performance has not "sunk in" completely because it has been a long-cherished dream, and now that they are there it feels almost unreal. "It is the proudest moment of our lives," he says. "We wanted to play a World Cup. It was a dream for us. Finally it has come true."
Vesawkar started following cricket when he was eight, after watching Sachin Tendulkar during the 1996 World Cup. "Sachin inspired me," Vesawkar says, recollecting the days spent playing street cricket with tennis balls. He is happy he chased that dream.
"We had no other choice other than going for it," Vesawkar says about the final over against Kenya. "Yesterday [against Hong Kong] was very important to us because it was a do-or-die match and we had to qualify for the World Cup. There is so much [of a] following back home and the expectations were really high. The Kenya game was equally important, since the tournament could have gone either way, but I still feel the Hong Kong match had more importance."
In May this year, Nepal won the ICC World Cricket League Division Three title, beating Uganda in the final. It was Vesawakar who hit the winning runs, completing a half-century in the process. Nepal had lost their first two group matches but won all the rest to claim the title. It was their biggest win at the time.
According to Khadka, Nepal's Sri Lankan coach Pubudu Dassanayake has "transformed" the team's progress and development. "The introduction of our coach transformed everything. It has been the same team, same players, but everyone has risen to the task."
During the match against Hong Kong, Dassanayake, who joined Nepal after leaving the Canada job following the 2011 World Cup, remained confident, though he feared his batsmen had left themselves too many to get in the final over. "That was the only hiccup," he says. "But we had already been involved in last-over games."

Paras Khadka smashes one down the ground, Hong Kong v Nepal, ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, quarter-final, Abu Dhabi, November 27, 2013
Paras Khadka: "Every one of us believes in fate. Every one of us believes in God" © ICC
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Nations like Nepal struggle for proper cricket infrastructure and resources. To prepare for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, they travelled to Delhi in October to play practice matches. Amit Mathur, the former BCCI administrator and currently consultant with the Delhi Daredevils, helped organise the travel and practice games. "Six months ago we went to Bharatnagar Cricket Academy, where we were smashed by a couple of teams," Dassanayake says. "This time when we were there we had victories against Under-25 sides from Railways and Delhi District Cricket Association. That provided a shot of confidence and showed us how much we had improved."
Dassanayake says the dedication of Nepal cricketers must be admired, for most of them rely on their board for basic needs, including their kit. "The Nepal Cricket Association provided a kit to each of the 15 players. The players give their full time to cricket but they do not benefit financially." When Khadka, a former small-time school and college-level coach, says the players "have dedicated" themselves to cricket "full time," you realise how much they love the sport.
The ICC played its part too, by promoting cricket in Nepal and providing exposure to players. Dassanayake thinks that in a few years Nepal will be on par with Associates like Ireland and Netherlands. "This is beginning of another level but we have to do a lot of hard work," he says.
For Dassanayake, it is satisfying that Nepal have played the same brand of cricket in victory and defeat. "When we lost to Afghanistan in a seven-over rain-affected match, we had been confident we could beat them and hence were upset. But we played good cricket and stuck to our plans in front of strong crowd support for both sides." On Friday, Nepal face Afghanistan again in the semi-finals of the tournament. Vesawkar wants to beat the arch-rivals, another long-standing desire, but for now he cannot forget the crowd that gathered at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium to infuse the team with energy.
After the victory against Hong Kong, as Khadka and his men sang the patriotic anthem "Rato Ra Chandra Surya", the crowd joined the chorus to make the moment that much more special. "It is almost like a festival back home. There have been rallies, candle-light functions and such from the moment we qualified," Khadka says. "Our home minister called us to congratulate the team. People are very excited. As a country we have been waiting for something to unite us. I think cricket has become the unifying factor."
When Khadka got out against Hong Kong, he saw Pun crying once again. This time, even Khadka was counting prayer beads in his mind. "It was crazy. When I was batting I was in the zone. You work so hard all your life and it is right there in front you. And then I got out with 10 balls left." Khadka recollects the moment. He had removed his helmet and gloves but he did not sit down. "I was standing there and praying. Please, please, God, you cannot be cruel.
"In the end it was fate. I believe in destiny. Honest work paid off."

Thursday, January 23, 2014

ICC CWCQ New Zealand 2014 to be streamed live on ICC website

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the live-streaming schedule for the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier New Zealand 2014 (CWCQ). For the first time ever, CWCQ matches will be streamed live on the ICC’s official website, www.icc-cricket.com.

The tenth edition of the CWCQ is being staged across seven venues from 13 January to 1 February. It will see four matches (listed below) streamed live at icc-cricket.com from the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, allowing cricket fans across the globe to follow the live action from the business end of the tournament, as it unfolds in New Zealand.

Ultra Motion cameras will be deployed for the first time ever in an ICC qualifier tournament. The high quality coverage will be conducted using nine high definition cameras and a full broadcast graphics package. Live online polls and social media initiatives will also be run during the broadcast and fans will be encouraged to join the conversation by using the official hashtag #CWC15.

This continues the support the ICC has shown for the development of events featuring Associate and Affiliate members. A total of 34 matches were streamed live by the ICC in 2013, these included matches from the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship 2013, ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2013, ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier Ireland 2013 and the ICC Intercontinental Cup Final 2013.

The live-streaming of CWCQ matches continues the ICC’s efforts to highlight cricket outside the traditional Test-playing countries; and, is aligned with the ICC’s Strategic Plan, of creating a Bigger, Better Global Game.

Among the four matches that will be streamed live at the CWCQ is the final. The two teams that feature in it will qualify for the ICC’s flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 (ICC CWC) which will be staged in Australia and New Zealand from 14 February to 29 March.          

The side that wins the CWCQ final will join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Pool A of the ICC CWC 2015, while the runner-up will team up with India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe in Pool B.

Notes to Editors:

The live-streamed matches are:
 
Date and time Match
26 Jan 2014 (1030 NZDT) Scotland v Namibia, Match 25, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
28 Jan 2014 (1030 NZDT) PNG v Scotland , Match 30, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
30 Jan 2014 (1030 NZDT)  PNG v Hong Kong, Match 33, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
 1 Feb 2014 (1030 NZDT) TBD v TBD, Final, Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln


Viewers in Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa can also visit www.supersport.com to watch the live coverage.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Beginning 'in the name of Allah' is a miracle

"I will set him on high
because he has known my name." (Psalms 91:14)
"In that day shall there be one Lord
and his name one." (Zechariah 14:9)
A branch of human knowledge is called ethnology, which is concerned with the study of racial groups in their origin, distribution and culture. It does not only cover the details of various branches and tribal groups of these races, but also their relationship to one another and their individual characteristics. The whole of mankind is compared to a tree whose branches have spread all over the earth. The Holy Quran has referred to this basic truth fourteen hundred years ago when it declared:
"Mankind is a single nation." (2:213)
At another place it said:
"Say: O people of the Book, come to an equitable word between us and you, that we shall serve none but Allah and that we shall not associate any with him." (3:63)
An "equitable word", towards which the Quran has called all the nations of the world, is something which is agreed upon by all. The Quran has itself indicated what that equitable word is. It is belief in God and obedience to Him. There can be nothing greater than this just and equitable statement to create goodwill and unity among nations -- that our God and your God is one. This is a great prophecy mentioned in the revealed scriptures of the world in a different form. In other words, the Prophet who knew the truth about the name of God and revealed it to the world was going to appear at a certain stage in history.
The oneness of humanity is a truth on which the Holy Quran lays the greatest stress (1:1). They are sometimes told that they have been "created of a single soul", again that they are all descended from the same parents (11:13); still again, that they are, as it were, dwellers in one home, having the same earth as resting-place and the same heaven as a canopy (2:22). It thus lays down the principle of the oneness of humanity in the clearest words. All people are but a single nation (10:19). More than that, it emphasises that all the prophets of the world are a single community (21:92).
The basic principle of all religions taught by the prophets has been one and the same in all ages and all countries, that Allah is the Lord of all. He alone must be worshipped. Therefore all prophets are here declared to be one community: they all led people to virtue through service of God. But, as the next verse shows, their followers broke off this unity:
"Surely this your community is a single community, and I am your Lord, so serve Me. And they cut off their affair among them; to Us will all return." (21:92-93)
Those who have studied the religious scriptures of the world and their commentaries know that out of hundreds of names of God there is one truly great and excellent Divine name in search of which Hindus, Jews, Christians and Magians have kept themselves constantly busy. There is no language in the world which does not contain a word denoting the name of God. I have discussed 155 names of God in my book Muhammad in World Scriptures. As God is one, His true name should also be one. The languages of the world are different but the Creator and Lord of all of us is one. It was the Last Prophet who told mankind the real name of this Great Being. He not only told His real name but also offered rational arguments in support of his claim and in practice he showed complete reliance on Him and thus achieved all that a human being could possibly achieve in his life. This was a practical demonstration of the truthfulness of the Prophet's mission. Those who opposed him in the name of other than God were completely humiliated in spite of their superiority in number and armaments. Even after the lapse of fourteen centuries the verdict recorded about him in history is that he was "the most successful of all the prophets and religious personalities" (Encyclopedia Britannica, 10th ed.). He was helpless and became the master of his country. But that was not his real success. His real success lay in the fact that there were thousands of his opponents who became his friends and accepted the religion he advocated. This was not something sudden and unexpected; the prophets of yore had foretold his success. The prophet David sang:
"Because he has set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known my name." (Psalms 91:14)