Already hit by division and widespread criticism over poor governance, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) hit a new low after the National Sports Council (NSC) on Friday sought categorical clarification over 15 different issues.

Indicating that the dissatisfaction shown by international cricket governing bodies and cricketers was not helping in the development of the game, the country’s supreme sports governing body has deemed the current committee of CAN ineligible to run cricket in the country.

“The development of cricket is not possible without solving the long standing dispute within CAN. Instead of correcting its mistakes it has repeatedly committed more of them,” an NSC letter submitted to CAN read.

Among the issues that NSC sought clarification include CAN’s inability to fetch the grant of over Rs 40 million from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), not recruiting coaching staffs for the national cricket team, losing the hosting rights of ICC U-19 Global Qualifier, poor handling of its Chief Executive Officer and coach Pubudu Dassanayake.

The cricket governing body is asked to report to NSC with clarification in the next five days beginning from Friday or else prepare punishment according to the Sports Development Act and Regulation 1991-92 which includes the reformation of any sport’s governing body or to the extent of dissolution of the body.

It was another blow for CAN whose 10 office bearers, including President Tanka Aangbuhang and General Secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel, from the 31-member central committee are fighting corruption charges

with two members already resigning from the committee and two pulled out by

the NSC.

Issues raised by Sports council

•     CAN’s inability to acquire over Rs 40 million grant from ACC
•     Failure to recruit coaching staffs for a long-term contract despite ICC directives
•     Reasons behind losing hosting rights of ICC U-19 Global Qualifiers; Improper handling of its CEO and Finance Manager
•     Reasons for delaying contract extention for coach Pubudu Dassanayake
•     Inability to clear arrears of more than Rs 17 million
•     Accountability for Rs 60 million ICC grant that CAN is about to be deprived of
•     Reasons for not paying the lease amount for using Tribhuvan University ground
•     Inability to organise national tournaments—men’s and women’s—for which NSC had released Rs 6 million. Reasons for organising only women’s event
•     Inability to implement its board decisions
•     Unable to provide scholarships to the members of the ACC U-16 Premier title winning team
•     Unwillingness to review Nepal’s dismal showing in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers
•     Reluctance to come up with development plans despite repeated calls for proposal from sports ministry, government and NSC
•     Reasons for not retrieving the Rs 8.4 million from the CAN office-bearers as directed by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority. The fine was imposed by the ICC
•     Reasons for not informing NSC about an incident of team physiotherapist in Ireland during the World T20 Qualifiers.
•     Clarification on media reports over sacking Paras Khadka as national team skipper