Failure to give full effort in bowling, batting, and fielding led to Defeats: Coach Kevin
Kevin admitted the team couldn’t give 100% effort in bowling, batting, and fielding.
KATHMANDU: Biratnagar Kings’ coach Kevin O’Brien has expressed disappointment after narrowly missing victories in three crucial matches, leading to the team’s failure to reach the playoffs.
Following a defeat to Kathmandu Gurkhas that ended their NPL first-season journey, Kevin cited a lack of understanding of the playing conditions as a key reason for the team’s underperformance. He also noted that the team struggled to make the right decisions under pressure.
Kevin admitted the team couldn’t give 100% effort in bowling, batting, and fielding. He pointed out that the team’s batting line-up faced challenges in the first three or four matches. According to him, foreign players found it difficult to adapt to the pitch conditions.
When asked if the pressure increased because captain Sandeep Lamichhane failed to take wickets, Kevin stated that it wasn’t fair to blame a single bowler. He also mentioned that Sandeep performed well in the later matches. Kevin further noted that injuries to key players also affected their performance.
He highlighted that, due to the short duration of the tournament, players who were out of form took time to regain their rhythm. He believes the quality of domestic players has significantly improved compared to when he played in the 2018 Everest Premier League. Kevin expressed confidence in the progress of these players.
Kathmandu Gurkhas’ captain Karan KC revealed that their plan was to win the match within 12 overs to improve their net run rate and qualify for the playoffs.
However, this strategy failed due to a poor batting display. Despite good bowling efforts, their batting performance fell short of expectations.
Karan defended the decision to include English batters in the squad, saying it wasn’t a bad move.
However, the pitch conditions made it difficult for the English batters to perform well. He acknowledged that while Karnali Yaks initially seemed strong, Sudurpaschim has been playing impressive cricket.
