ICC holds meeting with suspended CAN

KATHMANDU, Feb 19: The International Cricket Council's (ICC) Advisory Committee held a meeting for the second day with the office bearers of the suspended Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) on Sunday. The controversially-elected CAN was suspended by the ICC on April 25 citing government interference and later formed a six-member ICC Advisory Committee with a view to 'solve crisis of Nepali cricket'.

The Advisory Committee had been formed to draft a new statute of the cricket governing body of Nepal and to facilitate in holding a fresh election at the earliest.

The meeting attended by ICC head of global development William Gleanwright concluded in a positive note and the final decision will be announced on Monday, according to Ashok Nath Pyakurel, the general secretary of the elected CAN, who also attended the meeting.

The elected CAN had been at loggerheads with the ICC and the Advisory Committee since its formation. CAN had also refused send its representative to join the Advisory Committee formed in October citing that the ICC move was against the established norms and it would only institutionalize government interference.

“So far, the discussion has been positive,” said Pyakurel, who attended the meeting along with CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand. “We will decide only after tomorrow's discussion if we will join the Advisory Committee or not.”

“We have informed the ICC representatives that we will not join the Advisory Committee if it is a formed to replace the CAN. But we will facilitate if the ICC recognizes the existence of CAN and agrees to give continuity to the statute of the elected body by making amendments,” he said.

“We will discuss the terms and conditions set by the committee and its function and duties before reaching any conclusion,” he summed up.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the ICC states that a positive meeting concluded between the Advisory Committee and various stakeholders of Nepali cricket.

The Advisory Committee members Pawan Agrawal, Rohit Dahal, Choodamani Paudel attended the meeting on Sunday while Basanta Chaudhary, one of the co-conveners, was absent. Other two members Deepak Koirala and Binay Raj Paney, also a co-convener, did not attend the meeting as they are our of the country.