'Players need pressure': Nick Pothas demands stronger cricket structure in Nepal

Nepal head coach Nick Pothas has stressed the need for sustained pressure on players if the team is to make meaningful progress, calling on his side to cut out repeated mistakes ahead of their final ICC Men's T20 World Cup group fixture against Scotland on Tuesday.

Nepal began the tournament with promise, pushing England to a last-ball finish in a narrow defeat. However, their campaign quickly lost momentum, with comprehensive losses to Italy and the West Indies by 10 and nine wickets respectively.



"If we're going to improve Nepal cricket, we need to have an infrastructure below. Teams only get better when there's pressure on players to perform. I'm not sure what there exists in Nepal, but players need to feel like they're under pressure to perform in order for your cricket to improve," Pothas said.

He acknowledged the squad’s talent but pointed out that their development as a unit has been too slow. "Unfortunately, what we aren't doing is we're not learning fast enough as a group. Leading into the Scotland game, all we want to see guys do is compete, but not make the same errors we're making repeatedly. That's the important part.

"We're a very energetic side, a very passionate side with a great following that have come to watch us play so we'd like to give that following something to remember this World Cup by."

Pothas noted that limited exposure to diverse conditions and elite opposition has also hindered growth. "For these players, a lot of their cricket is played in Nepal where the wickets suit their style of play… When you come to a World Cup, you don't get away with that kind of thing."

He conceded structural discussions with Cricket Association of Nepal secretary Paras Khadka are essential to strengthen the domestic base.

Scotland batter Tom Bruce echoed the challenges facing Associate teams. "You're only playing four games in a World Cup. You've got to be at your very best every single time," he said, adding that more fixtures against top-tier nations would be "brilliant" for the game’s growth.



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