Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Dassanayake led Nepal to their maiden World Twenty20

Nepal’s head coach Pubudu Dassanayake will continue on with his role for another year after guiding the national team to their maiden World Twenty20.

Despite being knocked out in the qualifying stage of the tournament, Nepal impressed a lot of people with their performance as they beat Hong Kong and Afghanistan.

“Dassanayake has done so many good things for Nepali cricket and there was no one to go against his extension,” Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) President Tanka Angbuhang told the Himalayan Times. “With him, Nepali cricket could go a long way. If good results come under him, there will be extension a longer period for him.”

The decision to extend Dassanayake’s contract came after a lengthy CAN executive committee meeting on Monday.

Dassanayake’s new contract includes an increase in wages and a promise to improve cricketing facilities in the country.

“Since the coach is leaving for Canada shortly, we first agreed to the period of extension,” CAN general secretary Ashok Nath Pyakurel said. “Rest of the things including the financial part can be done after he returns from Canada.”

Dassanayake announced that his main goal is to make Nepal become the most dominant Associate nation.

“I will come up with certain plans because this is the time when Nepali cricket needs to gain the momentum,” he said. “We need to have a good domestic structure and proper age-group cricket so that we can be above Ireland and Afghanistan in the men’s and women’s cricket.”