National cricket team coach Pubudu Dassanayake tendered his resignation to end his five-year successful coaching career that saw him guide Nepal to the 2014 ICC World Twenty20.

Dassanayake, who cited personal reasons for his decision, will lead the team for the last time during Nepal’s ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Championship match against Papua New Guinea (PNG) on November 16 and 18 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was last given a six-month extension by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) which ends on December 31.

“I informed about my decision to CAN and the WCL match against PNG would be my last assignment,” said Dassanayake. “I have given my heart and soul to Nepal and coaching the team never felt like a job for me. It was something that got attached to me. I am leaving but want to see Nepal attain a Full Member (Test playing) status in future,” added the coach.

Dassanayake leaves as the most successful coach of Nepal establishing the country in the sporting world and his biggest achievement was securing Nepal a place in the World T20 in Bangladesh. Once languishing in ICC Division 4, Nepal flourished under Dassanayake who is highly appreciated for his mentoring and vision once he took over from former Sri Lankan international Roy Dias in October, 2011. Under him, Nepal claimed the WCL Division 3 twice after winning Division 4 and ACC Trophy Elite in 2012. All three titles under Dassanayake came on foreign soil. The 2013 Division 3 victory sent Nepal close to the 2015 50-over World Cup only for the cricketers to miss a spot in sport’s global showpiece. The 2014 World Cup Qualifiers in New Zealand, however, was the highest point in 50-over cricket

Nepal has reached. Relegated back from New Zealand, Nepal won the Division 3 title again in 2015 and competed in Division 2 where a fourth place finish handed them WCL—one of the tournaments in Division 1.

Dassanayake is credited for transforming the same bunch of Nepali cricketers, who once struggled in international outings, into a golden generation. The Sri Lanka-born Canadian singled out World Twenty20 qualification as the most cherished moment with the team. “I will always remember the moment when we earned the World T20 ticket after defeating Hong Kong in the Qualifiers,” said the coach.

While Dassanayake is generally held in high regard, he also came into the firing line by CAN for his outspoken approach. He pushed for setting up a proper domestic set up and establish professional platform for players, which never materialised. CAN repeatedly tried to bully him while extending his contracts to the extent of once needing the government intervention.

“With the current set up, we cannot hope to move forward. Nepal have potential but they need to build a good base to capitalise on that. I will always regret for not being able to establish a good domestic structure in Nepal,” he lamented.

No environment to work: Khadka

National cricket team skipper Paras Khadka said the resignation of coach Pubudu Dassanayake was a proof of poor working environment under the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). “His contribution needs to be lauded because he has taken Nepali cricket to new heights. He is the man who can lead the team to the right path but the way CAN is functioning now, there is no way he could carry on. I respect his decision,” said Khadka adding the poor system in the cricket governing body is preventing the skilled manpower. “He (Dassanayake) has been humiliated time and again with short-term contracts. The system doesn’t allow anyone to work smoothly,” said Khadka.