The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday released the salary of the national team cricketers pending for the last two years.

The supreme body of world cricket had not released the budget for the cricketers’ paycheque in absence of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) which has been under suspension from the ICC in the pretext of government interference and unfair election on April 25, 2016. The National Sports Council (NSC) was corresponding with the ICC to get the salary of the cricketers.

ICC had previously send a one-year paycheque of the cricketers following the suspension of CAN. Rohit Dahal, press advisor to NSC Member Secretary Keshav Kumar Bista, said the head of country’s supreme body of sports had persuaded the ICC to send all the pending amount at once.

“The ICC had said that it would send the cricketers’ salary in two instalments but the NSC member secretary insisted in getting all the pending amount in one go.

He (Bista) corresponded through letter with ICC thrice and persuaded in getting the pending amount following a phone call,” revealed Dahal adding the salary will be distributed to the cricketers at the earliest.  

The ICC has sent a total of Rs 10.278 million rupees directly to the account of the NSC. The suspension of the CAN has not only affected in the development of the game within the country but also the daily lives of cricketers. Despite all the adversaries, national team on February 3 completed a tour sweep of the United Arab Emirates beating the Emiratis both in the One Day International and Twenty20 International Series.

The cricketers will get their salary according to a revised classification done recently. A total of 21 national cricketers are divided into three categories — ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. National team skipper Paras Khadka, vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Vesawkar, Basanta Regmi, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane and Dipendra Singh Airee fall in the ‘A’ category and will receive Rs 35,000 each.

The ‘B’ category includes Aarif Sheikh, Karan KC, Lalit Singh Bhandari, Anil Kumar Sah, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi and now-retired Shakti Gauchan. They will receive Rs 25,000 apiece every month. Subash Khakurel, Sagar Pun, Dilip Nath, Sunil Dhamala, Sushan Bhari Shrestha, Kishor Mahato and Binod Bhandari are in the ‘C’ category. They receive Rs 15,000 every month.