CAN Chairman Chand Commits to Improving Playing Conditions

13 Ashoj, Kathmandu – Following the cancellation of all four quarterfinal cricket matches at the Asian Games due to continuous rain, Chaturbahadur Chand, chairman of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), has expressed a commitment to improving playing conditions in the future. In an interview with Himalaya Television, Chand clarified that the possibility of all four quarterfinal matches being washed out due to rain was unforeseen. He explained that since full member nations were participating in the matches, the issue had not been taken very seriously initially.

“We hadn’t anticipated that all four quarterfinals would be washed out. The teams organizing the playing conditions are full members, so our focus was primarily on that,” Chand said. According to him, CAN had already accepted the state of the playing conditions before the tournament began, and thus, rather than engaging in disputes now, efforts should be directed toward necessary improvements for upcoming competitions.

“We had accepted the playing conditions. This is a learning experience for us, and such situations will not be repeated in the future. We will work to improve the playing conditions, and this topic will also be discussed in the upcoming ICC forums,” he added. Chand emphasized the need to address the weaknesses observed in the playing conditions. “At this point, we have no option but to accept the situation. We already accepted the playing conditions earlier, so there is no point in debating now. We will improve from next time onwards and put in hard work for that,” he stated.

Due to continuous rain at the Asian Games, all four quarterfinal matches, including the match between Nepal and Sri Lanka, were canceled. As a result, based on pre-established playing conditions, the higher-ranked teams India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka advanced to the semifinals.