At last, it has happened in women’s cricket. Bhutan’s Ritshi Choden has become the first woman cricketer to be timed out. The T20I between Nepal and Bhutan at the ACC’s Premier Cup was underway in Mantin, Malaysia, when Choden gained the dubious distinction. It may be noted that, after a wicket falls, the next batter has to be in, within one and a half minutes, but because Choden took longer, Nepal appealed, and the umpires Sun Meng Yao and Ankita Guha did the rest.
Bhutan were chasing 114 to win and lost Ngawang Choden off the first ball of the innings after which the Ritshi Choden incident unfolded. Nepal went on to win the match by a big margin as Bhutan could only manage 63/8 in 20 overs.
However, the Nepalese cricket association has apologised for the incident, saying it was against the spirit of the game. Former player Paras Khadka, now secretary at the Cricket Association of Nepal, has strongly condemned the actions of the Nepalese players. “The incident involving the timed-out dismissal of a Bhutanese batter during today’s match does not reflect the values and spirit of cricket that the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) strives to uphold.
“On behalf of the Cricket Association of Nepal, we extend our sincere apologies for the actions of our Women’s National Team in this matter. While the dismissal was effected within the Laws of Cricket, we recognise that the spirit of the game extends beyond the written laws and must remain central to our conduct at all times.
“As a developing cricketing nation, we place the utmost importance on sportsmanship, mutual respect, and fair play. We acknowledge that this incident has fallen short of those standards and regret any disappointment it may have caused.
“We convey our sincere apologies to Bhutan Cricket, the player concerned, and all relevant stakeholders. CAN remains firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and the spirit of cricket, both on and off the field,” a CAN release said.
Another incident earlier this year!
Earlier this year in April, there was another controversy in Nepalese cricket when international player Karan KC, unhappy with umpiring decisions after a domestic game, wrote the following on social media: “If any player beats an umpire mistakenly, how many matches would he be banned for? Just for query?”
It created quite the furore in Nepalese cricket, and after which he was banned for one game.
