Sandeep Lamichhane urges ICC to include more teams in World Cup

Nepal’s cricket sensation Sandeep Lamichhane on Saturday advocated the need to increase the number of teams in the World Cup and give associate nations a better chance of competing on the highest level. Lamichhane, 17, and his teammates made history earlier this month when Nepal gained one-day international status at the World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.

The 2019 World Cup in England and Wales will have 10 teams — including the West Indies and Afghanistan, who won their spots in the tournament through the World Cup Qualifiers. The qualification scenario and performances of teams like Scotland and Zimbabwe urged viewers from all over the world to voice their opinion against ICC’s hesitance in expanding the sport.

Lamichhane — the first Nepalese player to land an Indian Premier League deal — believes the International Cricket Council should give more opportunities to up-and-coming teams.

Every player dreams of playing the World Cup says Lamichhane

“Every player from every country dreams of playing (in) the World Cup,” the leg-spinner told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday, as reported by News 18. “ICC should have increased the number of teams so that every player gets a chance to play (in) the World Cup and grow their cricket to the top level.”

He has come a long way from competing against players from associate nations to playing with some of cricket’s biggest stars in India’s cash-rich Twenty20 tournament after Delhi Daredevils acquired his services for $318,000 in the mega-auction in January. Now Lamichhane, who has been likened to spin legend Shane Warne, is being coached by World Cup-winning former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

“He is a fantastic player from his era to now and it’s a precious moment to share a dressing room with him,” Lamichhane said of the batting great. In Delhi, he will be joined by Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, New Zealand pacemen Trent Boult and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.

“Some of the balls which can’t be hit by associate players, (top players) can smash them anywhere.”

“The difference is experience, we don’t get to play those big games. We don’t get that kind of exposure,” he said.