KATHMANDU : The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has signed year-long contracts with cricket players. The CAN board meeting held in Bharatpur, Chitwan on Tuesday made a classification of women cricketers for the first time in Nepal.
The cricket association has categorized 18 men and 19 women cricketers into grade ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. As decided, the ‘A’ grade men players include Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sharad Veswakar, Karan KC, Basanta Regmi, Deependra Singh Aire and Binod Bhandari. The grade ‘B’ includes Suman Bhari, Somlal Kami, Arif Sheikh and Pawan Saraf while grade ‘C’ players are Subas Khakurel, Rohit Poudel, Kushal Malla, Ramid Khan, Abinash Bohora and Kamal Singh Eire.
Similarly, CAN has nominated Rubina Chhetri, Neri Thapa, Indu Sharma, Sita Ranamagar and Karuna Bhandari as grade ‘A’ cricketers in the women’s category, CAN chair Chatur Bahadur Chand told RSS. He further informed that grade ‘B’ women cricketers are Jyoti Pandey, Apsari Begam, Roma Thapa, Bindu Rawal, Kavita Joshi, Reetu Kanaujiya, Kajal Shrestha and Sarita Magar.
The cricketers picked in the grade ‘C’ are Kabita Kunwar, Doli Bhatta, Anuradha Chaudhary, Sonu Khadka, Anjali Chand and Shova Ale. Chair Chand further shared that ‘A’ grade men cricketers would receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 50,000, ‘B’ grade Rs 40,000 and ‘C’ grade Rs 30,000. Similarly, ‘A’ grade women cricketers would be entitled to get monthly remuneration of Rs 15,000 followed by Rs 12,000 for grade ‘B’ and Rs 10,000 for grade ‘C’.
“The CAN has signed contracts with women cricketers for the first time. This is a good start”, CAN chair Chand said.
Earlier in 2019, men cricketers received a remuneration of Rs 45,000, Rs 35, 000 and Rs 25,000, according to their grades. The cricketers will receive the new remuneration scale effective from January 2020.
The CAN has decided to hold its annual general assembly on October 14 through a virtual platform. The association made the decision to convene the AGM as it has to be held by October 16 as per the International Cricket Council (ICC) provisions. “We will hold the AGM face-to-face if the situation allows us to do so. If not it will be organized through a virtual platform,” Chand said.
CAN has endorsed all the annual audit reports from the fiscal year 2015/16 to 2019/20. An audit was not performed in the year when CAN was suspended. The ICC had lifted its action against CAN after a new leadership came after the election.
Likewise, CAN has decided to seek government permission for closed-door training amidst the corona pandemic. Chair Chand said that the association has decided to take the initiative to enable an environment for training sessions in coordination with the National Sports Council.
The CAN has also decided to coordinate with the concerned authorities to organize the men and women category Prime Minister Cup within mid-December.
Likewise, the board took the decision to remunerate cricket coach Jagat Tamata at par with the ‘A’ grade cricketers. CAN has decided to remunerate him for two years. The board has also decided to form a three-member committee for life insurance of the contracted cricketers, ground staff and office staff.
