Pubudu Dassanayake resigns as Nepal head coach, takes up role with Canada

Pubudu Dassanayake has submitted his resignation as Nepal head coach citing “household causes” with virtually a yr and a half left on his present contract in an effort to take up the identical place with Canada. His contract with Canada will run till the top of 2023.

Dassanayake, 52, performed Check cricket for Sri Lanka within the mid-Nineties earlier than migrating to Ontario in 2001. He finally made his debut for Canada on the 2005 ICC Trophy in Eire and helped them qualify for the 2007 World Cup. He went on to turn into the pinnacle coach of Canada for the primary time from 2007 till the top of the 2011 World Cup, Canada’s final look within the 50-over ICC showpiece occasion, earlier than taking on the Nepal head coach job for the primary time, in 2011. He held the job till 2015, main Nepal to their first T20 World Cup in 2014.

He coached USA from 2016 till 2019 earlier than taking on the Nepal job for a second time in December 2021. However Dassanayake says that household issues in a post-Covid world have pressured him to rethink his priorities.

“The one factor is that through the Covid time interval, I used to be completely away from cricket,” Dassanayake instructed ESPNcricinfo. “My spouse’s job, she received very busy throughout that point. She’s a practising veterinarian in Canada. She received actually busy and I additionally received concerned with that. In that interval, as soon as Covid is slowing down I received this provide from Nepal. Since I used to be away from cricket for some time, I wished to get one thing going as a result of that is my ardour. I used to be comfortable to leap in and assist Nepal and put issues in the precise course. So after an extended break, I accepted the job.

“After I was in Nepal the final time between 2011-2015, it was totally different. I used to be so pumped as much as do numerous issues and my household was comfortable for me to go and work in my profession. Now we’re in a scenario the place my children want my help for many different issues in terms of schooling. My mother-in-law additionally received sick within the final two months. So all of this stuff contributed to me fascinated with the entire scenario. My spouse is managing all this stuff along with her work. For me to be far-off from there, it is placing strain on me and on all of us as a result of I am not there when the household wants me. I am staying in inns. I am going from the lodge to the bottom and again to the lodge the remainder of the time. That way of life will not be serving to me.”

Dassanayake stated he tried to submit a resignation letter to the Cricket Affiliation of Nepal earlier than Nepal’s latest ODI tour of Scotland, the place they received certainly one of 4 matches in opposition to Scotland and Namibia. The board requested him to rethink, and he continued main the crew on tour. Upon returning with the crew to Kathmandu earlier this week, he had a gathering with the board the place they accepted his resignation.

“After I got here [to coach Nepal] this time, I’ve seen there’s lots of small teams. The main focus wasn’t there for enjoying cricket. There was a lot of different points across the system. It took a while to clear that.”

Pubudu Dassanayake

“It could be unfair if I simply left like that as a result of the Scotland tour was back-to-back after the USA tour,” Dassanayake stated, referring to Nepal’s prior ODI tour to Texas in June as a part of ICC Cricket World Cup League Two. “These ideas got here in across the first week of July. After I was satisfied what I wished to do, I despatched a letter to the Cricket Affiliation of Nepal. However I did not say something to the taking part in group. I simply wished them to deal with cricket and full this tour.

“Usually once I’m given a problem, I do not go away midway. I am an individual who actually needs to see issues via and take groups into a very good period from powerful instances. If I discuss Nepal earlier than, Canada earlier and even USA, for those who see the pathway, I took greater than a yr to go down and are available again once more as a result of the modifications we put in place take time to bear fruit. Nepal can be in a scenario the place we have now completed lots of modifications and I used to be assured if I used to be there for the subsequent 12 months, they’re mainly heading right into a high crew with this younger group and the expertise they’ve. We simply have to have persistence with them.”

‘Nepal has come a great distance in a brief interval with a younger group’

Throughout his stint, Dassanayake needed to spend a major period of time and power to easy over simmering disputes between gamers and the cricket board that took their consideration away from their means to carry out on the sector.

“After I was right here in Nepal earlier than [from 2011-2015], one factor that I by no means had was points inside the taking part in group. They had been one crew and so they had been very centered on successful, giving their 200% to win video games. After I got here this time, I’ve seen there’s lots of small teams. The pondering was completely totally different. Some time frame has contributed to that in Nepal. No matter it was, I am undecided. The main focus wasn’t there for enjoying cricket. There was a lot of different points across the system. It took a while to clear that.

“Once we had been in Oman for the T20 World Cup Qualifier, it was proper in the course of it however we managed to do issues there to get one of the best out of the crew. Then tour by tour, we did lots of exterior cricket exercises to get individuals into the precise mind set, it is the nationwide crew and we have to play collectively to win matches for the nation. So I feel we have come a great distance in a brief interval with a younger group, and a younger captain, however [there’s still] an extended strategy to go.

Regardless of these clashes, Dassanayake believes the precise nucleus of gamers is in place to attain profitable outcomes on the sector. Other than captain Sandeep Lamichhane, Dassanayake additionally has lots of religion in 19-year-old vice-captain Rohit Paudel and 17-year-old No. 3 batter Dev Khanal.

“After I got here to Nepal, there have been lots of clashes between the organisation and the gamers,” Dassanayake stated. “There was no actual dialogue between the gamers and the brand new board. Each side had been very adamant about numerous issues. I used to be in a position to mediate as a result of I’m very near the taking part in group and the board gave me the peace of mind that no matter method I wish to do issues, they’ll again me up. We put the taking part in group in the precise course. The board was very supportive. As soon as the board noticed the younger expertise coming via, they had been very assured with what we’re doing. From their facet, they elevated the [player] salaries, their match charges, their each day allowance. We needed to drop a number of senior gamers initially due to the entire situation.

“The rationale we’re dropping video games, a few of these top-order batters who’re 17 and 19 years previous have not performed sufficient cricket at this degree. It is going to take a little bit of time, however I feel one of the best expertise has been picked and it is simply that we have to put them into a very good program for them to carry out. I’ve seen all these Affiliate nations in World Cricket League Two. From expertise sensible, they aren’t removed from anybody. They only have to get expertise and calm down on this degree and discover ways to deal with conditions. Even when I am not right here, I am nonetheless going to help the children.”

His first project with Canada would be the second spherical of ICC Cricket World Cup Problem League A, which is about to run from July 27 to August 6. Canada is on the high of the six-team desk with 4 wins from their first 5 matches, and they’ll host Singapore, Qatar, Denmark, Malaysia and Vanuatu within the occasion.