29 Sep Kirtipur Diary-Phillip Hughes Memorial Tribute Match
Kirtipur Diary-Phillip Hughes Memorial Tribute Match
Saturday, April 11th, 2015
The crowd turned up the heat
It was Saturday but was no rest for anyone. There was one common occasion, it was the Phillip Hughes Memorial Tribute Match. Spectators turned up for the match in huge numbers. That too, after plenty of them participated in hugely successful ‘Bagmati Sarsafai Abhiyan’. Even the local bus drivers were frustrated to see the queues of vehicles at intersections on a Saturday morning. They came in numbers, they paid the tickets, they supported their heroes, they paid their tributes to the Australian who is resting in peace. They also saw last glimpses of their first cricketing hero Binod Das. They were provided by a Binod Das treat. For one last time, the crowd turned up the heat for Das, vividly evident by the inspiring send off given by the crowd to him after he was dismissed. It raised goosebumps. It is a no brainer, Nepal has cricket fanatics, Nepal loves cricket, Nepal is obsessed with cricket to some point.
It was Saturday but was no rest for anyone. There was one common occasion, it was the Phillip Hughes Memorial Tribute Match. Spectators turned up for the match in huge numbers. That too, after plenty of them participated in hugely successful ‘Bagmati Sarsafai Abhiyan’. Even the local bus drivers were frustrated to see the queues of vehicles at intersections on a Saturday morning. They came in numbers, they paid the tickets, they supported their heroes, they paid their tributes to the Australian who is resting in peace. They also saw last glimpses of their first cricketing hero Binod Das. They were provided by a Binod Das treat. For one last time, the crowd turned up the heat for Das, vividly evident by the inspiring send off given by the crowd to him after he was dismissed. It raised goosebumps. It is a no brainer, Nepal has cricket fanatics, Nepal loves cricket, Nepal is obsessed with cricket to some point.
Dipendra Chaudhary, Paresh Lohani, Sanjam Regmi, Binod Das and Missing Alam
Nepal Red and Nepal Blue teams
Yup, the title says it all. The reel was rolled back, TU ground went old school but we missed a legitimate legend on his own rights Mehboob Alam amid all the old guards taking the field again together after a very long time. It would have been a vintage stuff watching Alam and Das bowl in tandem but couldn’t happen as Alam was missing for unknown reasons.
No internet for Andrew Ramsey
It was a bit of awkward situation in TU Ground today when I saw Andrew Ramsey struggling to access internet in his laptop. It wasn’t complicated but the arrangements saw users to have NTC simcards and send SMSs to their customer service number and get the password to surf internet in their portals provided by Nepal Telecom at the ground premises. But the anticlimax was, the Senior Writer from cricket.com.au had Ncell number. Hence, he couldn’t use the internet. It was quite an embarrasing situation their as I tried to activate the internet by using my number but as it was already registered to my laptop internet connection, I couldn’t. I called the internet guy, asked for the help, but he dissappeared and never came back. At last, Ramsey had to close his laptop and walk out in despair, nothing shown, but wasn’t a good endorsement for only international ground in Nepal. That too, when whole media were using the internet but only Ramsey could not.
It was a bit of awkward situation in TU Ground today when I saw Andrew Ramsey struggling to access internet in his laptop. It wasn’t complicated but the arrangements saw users to have NTC simcards and send SMSs to their customer service number and get the password to surf internet in their portals provided by Nepal Telecom at the ground premises. But the anticlimax was, the Senior Writer from cricket.com.au had Ncell number. Hence, he couldn’t use the internet. It was quite an embarrasing situation their as I tried to activate the internet by using my number but as it was already registered to my laptop internet connection, I couldn’t. I called the internet guy, asked for the help, but he dissappeared and never came back. At last, Ramsey had to close his laptop and walk out in despair, nothing shown, but wasn’t a good endorsement for only international ground in Nepal. That too, when whole media were using the internet but only Ramsey could not.
A commercialized APF vs Army will do
Nepal Red team with the trophy
Without going onto the details, the match today has opened the vicinity of possibilities with the home players involving in a home match. To be honest, the four international/Australian players were mere participants if you can see how crowd cheered the home players, be it, ‘Paras Khadka Chakka Padka’, ‘Binod! Binod! Binod!”. And they are not going anywhere than be part of next home tournament. It was more like a APF vs Army game with all the top stars of the country mashed up in same match for an entertaining Saturday day out. CAN needs to take the opportunity and utilize next home assignments with similar types of marketing, vision and commercialization.
The buzz shall not fade away
The buzz shall not fade away
It was a welcome cricket match after a long time. A match accepted by spectators with both arms. If you just take today on account, it seems Nepal cricket has everything. Viewers, spectators, complete media involvement, foreign interests, competitiveness, talent, organized execution of a grand event, legends, superstar players, exciting youngsters, etc all seems to be in place with the genuine efforts provided by the CAN. All I want is, the buzz shall not fade away from here on. Let the Phillip Hughes Memorial Tribute Match be the benchmark of greater things to come in Nepali cricket. Starting with a properly organized domestic competition. The buzz, indeed for cricket, shall not fade away. Kudos to Cricket Association of Nepal for providing the cricket hungry fans of Nepal with a treat which can be improved in days to come.
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