IT is great to see that Nepal has now got the One-Day International (ODI) status in cricket.

Cricket is the most sought-after game in Asia. Besides England, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have long been playing the game of cricket.

As a cricket buff, I would like to recap the beautiful days of cricket in the 1990s. As a schoolboy then, I used to watching cricket matches on TV in my native town of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, India.

Mohammad Azharuddin, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Sanath Jayasuriya are my favourite cricket stars.

Their contribution to the game is immeasurable and is worthy of emulation by other cricketers. Their personality, batting style, sincerity and professionalism had added to the strength of the game of cricket, especially in the 1990s.

Right now there have been various formats of cricket, especially regionally. Despite this, such players of stature akin to the former [the 1990s] cricketers’ are totally missing in cricket today [I am not blaming anyone. That is the fact].

Besides, the rising commercialisation of cricket is something to be taken seriously.

Always, good rapport with fellow teams, sincerity, professionalism and high standards deserve the first place in the game of cricket.

Let us all wholeheartedly welcome this beautiful Himalayan country called Nepal to the cricket world.

P. Senthil Saravana Durai

Mumbai

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018