In a significant development for cricket enthusiasts in Nepal, the Extratech Oval Cricket Ground in Rupandehi's Bhairahawa garnered high praise from Monty Desai, the coach of the Nepalese National Cricket Team. Monty Desai inspected the cricket ground in preparation for the Prime Minister Cup National Cricket Tournament, adding a boost of enthusiasm to Extratech Oval's construction team.
Desai, impressed by the facilities and planning, expressed his observations after the inspection, saying, "So when I asked the curator, the last wicket which they just laid on the plot, from there also itself, it's 65 on one side, and long body on the other side. But as the center wicket forms a perfect arc, the boundary is all around, which is great."
He continued to highlight the meticulous planning and attention to detail in the construction of the cricket ground. "With the grass, we will be able to see a proper 4 mm grass pitch, which should also test our players in the future. The drainage facility is great. There is a slope. They are putting up big side stains/strings as well. What they have done well in terms of planning is to get the ground in place. So, once they've got the ground in place, with adequate slope all around and perfect draining facilities, the next plan I'm sure they'll be looking for is a bit of infrastructure all around."
Desai commended the long-term commitment evident in Extratech Oval's efforts, stating, "What I'm happy to see is, cricket is growing. The effort here does not look like one or two months; the effort here looks like it's been more than 6 months, or a year-long planning. So that also shows the amount of love that people have invested over here for this game. And I wish them lots of love and lots of success."
The Extratech Oval team expresses gratitude to Monty Desai for his insightful inspection and the words of encouragement. The construction team is now more determined than ever to make the cricket ground playable by expeditiously completing the ongoing construction work.
The project has also received support and encouragement from notable figures such as Jayprakash Bhattarai, member secretary of Province Sports Council Lumbini, and Haribahadur Thapa, President of Rupandehi District Cricket Association, along with former working secretary of Nepal Cricket Association, Prashant Bikram Malla, and Lumbini Province Cricket Association. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting cricketing endeavor exclusively on Extratech Oval.