The board was dissolved by the government of Nepal in November 2014 on the grounds of incompetence and a three-member ad hoc committee was established with a new president designated by the government itself.[1]
In April 2016, CAN was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC), on the grounds of government interference in its operations. However the suspension did not prevent Nepal's national teams from participating in ICC tournaments.[2][3]
The ICC welcomed the elections of the board held in September 2019[4] and formally reinstated the board on a conditional basis on 14 October.[5] On 13 October 2019, the ICC lifted its suspension on the Cricket Association of Nepal.[6]
Jay Kumar Nath Shah (1966 – September 2006 = 40 years)[8] One of the longest serving cricket association president in the world. Association was almost non existent till the mid 1990s.
Binay Raj Pandey (September 2006 – December 2011)[9] A long serving cricket administrator with business background. His committee was dissolved by the government for his failure to hold an election, a requirement of International Cricket Committee.
Tanka Angbuhaang (December 2011 – June 2014)[10][11] He was appointed by the government of Nepal after dissolution of Binaya Raj Pandey. During his tenure he appointed new coach, Pubudu Dasanayake, and also made bilateral ties with cricket teams in India. Although full of controversies, Nepal cricket team made into their first t20 worldcup during his tenure.
Binay Raj Panday (Interim) (November 2014 - April 2016)[12] He was appointed after the previous working committee formed under Tanka Angabuhang was dissolved by the Government. The repeated dissolutions failure to holding election caused CAN suspension by the ICC after his tenure.
Between 2016 and 2019, Bhawana Ghimire was CEO of the Cricket Association of Nepal. CAN was suspended during this period for government interventions.[14]
Controversies
Despite unprecedented success on the field, including victories over Hong Kong and Afghanistan at the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, Nepal went through some turmoil off the field in 2014 with a boycott of the national one-day tournament by the national players with the captain Paras Khadka slamming the Cricket Association of Nepal for their treatment of national players.[15]
The board then came under an investigation by the Commission for Investigation into Abuse of Authority.[16] Later, CIAA filed a case against 18 CAN members including the then President Tanka Aangabuhang, after finding them guilty of misusing around Rs. 14.31 million, which was to be used for developing the game in the country instead.[17][18] This resulted in several CAN members stepping down from their posts on moral grounds.
In May, members of CAN filed a no-confidence motion against president Tanka Angbuhang, after the organization of the Nepal Premier League was outsourced to a private sports management firm.[19]
In March, the CAN had said Nepal coach Pubudu Dassanayake would get a year's extension to his contract. However, he was only given a three-month extension, which ran out later June.[20] The change in terms, CAN secretary Ashok Nath Pyakuryal said, was due to the board being under investigation. The coach left the country on 4 June due to unresolved contractual issues.[21]
But the Government of Nepal intervened and handed Dassanayake a year's extension. Dassanayake returned to Nepal on 29 August after being invited by the government and was reappointed coach of Nepal's senior and Under-19 cricket teams.[22]
After all these controversies in the year 2014, the Nepal Government dissolved the Angbuhang led CAN committee on 6 November and formed an ad hoc committee under former president Binaya Raj Pandey on an interim basis.[12]
As a result of the governmental involvement in its running, the ICC suspended CAN in April 2016,[23] though allowed the national teams to continue playing in international competitions.