In 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Nepal’sspinner Sandeep Lamichhane was one of the brightest talents. He caught attention from former Australian skipper Michael Clarke .
Sandeep was playing in Hong Kong when Clarke came in the country during a T20 tournament in May. So Clarke decided to take an initiative to take young spinner to Australia and got him a contract with the Sydney Club.
Sandeep landed in Australia on Monday, has impressed in his Sydney Premier Cricket debut.
The teenager turned 16 last week now wants to become the first Nepalese cricketer to play in the Big Bash League.
“My dream is to play Big Bash,” Lamichhane told Cricket Australia.
“You can see it’s like oxygen to me, because without cricket I can’t live,” Lamichhane said.
While mentor Clarke dismissed the notion of Lamichhane being the ‘Nepalese Shane Warne’ he said it was more his passion than his prowess that caught his eye.
“Sandeep has a lot of talent, there’s no doubt about it, but I think he offers a hell of a lot more than that, and I think that’s why I’ve done whatever I could to try and get him to Sydney,” Clarke said.
“He’s a lovely young man. He’s extremely respectful of his fans and the people that support him.
“He’s very close to his family and I think he fits in perfectly at this great club at Western Suburbs.
“I think this was a little glimpse of what’s to come. I don’t want to put any pressure on him (but) he loves the game as much as anyone I’ve seen and that’s what I think is important.
“Let him play, let him enjoy his cricket. He’s around good people here at Western Suburbs. The future will take care of itself.”