The deadlock over the constitution amendment of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) is set to continue despite International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday claiming the stakeholders to have reached the consensus.

ICC had suspended CAN on April 25 last year citing disputed election and government interference before forming Advisory Group in September to transform CAN into a board. After the inclusion of Chatur Bahadur Chand-led committee, which claims itself as an elected body, the Group began the reformation process with the amendment of current CAN statute. 

Chand and general secretary of his committee Ashok Nath Pyakurel had joined the Group making it a seven-member body. Businessman Basant Chaudhary and former CAN President Binay Raj Pandey are the joint coordinators of the Group with former national team skipper Pawan Agrawal its secretary. 

“Significant progress has been made towards the reinstatement of Nepal’s ICC membership after the various stakeholders who comprise the Nepal Advisory Group reached consensus on a variety of issues including the proposed amendments to the constitution of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN),” ICC said in a statement on Sunday. “The understanding was reached in Kathmandu on Saturday following a meeting of the Nepal Advisory Group and ICC officials, which included the ICC Deputy Chairman, Mr Imran Khwaja. The next steps will be for CAN to hold a General meeting to adopt the proposed amendments to its constitution, and thereafter for elections to 

be held on the terms of the amended constitution.”

Joint coordinator of the Advisory Group Pandey also said they have reached consensus over two disputed points in the proposed CAN constitution on Saturday. “We had an agreement on the number of representatives for the General Assembly which amounts to 38 from districts and an additional 19 from Provinces,” said Pandey. “ICC had rejected the ‘elected committee’s demand’ to ensure they get automatic entry to the Assembly,” said Pandey also showing concern over last-minute U-turn from some of its members.

Khwaja was quoted by ICC as saying: “Whilst there has been robust debate and deliberation, I am heartened by the spirit of cooperation and resolution that characterized our meetings. If all goes as discussed and agreed, I have no doubt that 

the new structure will see the dawn of a new and illustrious era for cricket in Nepal.”

However, Pyakurel flatly denied that they have reached any agreement on their demands of representing in the General Assembly. “Yes, it has been resolved that each of 38 member districts will have their representation in the General Assembly, and so do a collective 20-21 members from Provinces.

But we still demand that we (the elected committee) be allow to represent directly in the Assembly,” said Pyakurel. “We are not even asking to let all 29 members to represent in the Assembly. We would be happy if only 17 members are allowed for the General Assembly.”

Pyakurel also warned the “other party” of playing games as they (the elected committee) are ones who will first have to endorse any proposed constitution amendment before clearing a deck for reinstatement of Nepal’s ICC membership.