The inaugural T20 cricket competition held in the Nepali city of Pokhara has recently drawn to a close, with local team Pokhara Paltan bringing home the trophy.
With some national cricketing heroes leading their teams, the two-week-long Pokhara Premier League (PPL) attracted the attention of the entire country.
But it wasn't only the players that left the spectators wanting more, as some of the tallest snow-capped mountains in the world played backdrop to the match.
Mount Annapurna, Machhapuchhre and Dhaulagiri dominate the horizon beyond the pitch, making it one of the most beautiful in the country – arguably in the world.
However, beautiful as it is, the ground currently does not have any concrete structures - players and local media were housed under a tent during the competition.
This became a key point of conversation among commentators around the match, both on and off the field: Can a ground with no facilities of an international standard host international matches?
Nepal's cricket captain Paras Khadka echoed this statement to his Twitter followers, saying, "Hope we can get a proper cricket ground set up in future at this venue and present ourselves into the cricketing world."
The ICC had once planned to build a regional cricketing academy in Pokhara but the idea was shelved.
However, things have changed since then. Nepal has become a one-day-cricketing nation and the game draws huge crowds around the country.
Nepal, if it plays its cards well, could turn the Pokhara ground into an international stadium and host matches as a neutral venue – similar to the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
Much needs to be done to turn the ground into an international standard stadium. But the effort could be worth it if Nepal lures the ICC to host international matches in the lap of the mountains.
It would likely prove a boost to Nepali cricket as well as the country’s economy.
