Nepal coach Stuart Law doesn’t want to settle for mediocrity

Australia’s challenge at the T20 World Cup has just got tougher. The 2021 champion has been handicapped by the late withdrawal of Pat Cummins, a key component of its pace battery. Adding to its woes is the news that Josh Hazlewood, a razor-sharp operator across phases, is unlikely to be available for the early stages of the global tournament.

Stuart Law, former Australia batter and current Nepal head coach, opined that those replacing Cummins and Hazlewood will have big shoes to fill. He, however, backed the Mitchell Marsh-led side to find a quick solution. “All good things come to an end. There are some players who are reaching the end of their careers and then there are young players who are starting their journeys,” Law said after Nepal registered a comfortable win over the UAE in the warm-up contest here on Tuesday.

After being in a race against time to be fit for the T20 World Cup, the 32-year-old Cummins was recently ruled out due to a nagging back issue. His pace partner Hazlewood, 35, has been away from international action since October owing to injury setbacks.

“Cummins is a rare commodity. He is one of the best bowlers the world has seen, particularly in modern-day cricket. Hazlewood is one of the better T20 bowlers going around... the guys in Chennai know it well (he had turned out for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL). But, the Australian team has been very strong for a long time and there is a lot of quality in this team. Cooper Connolly is one young player who has stood out; he has done well in the Big Bash League. Overall, there is a good blend of youth and experience in the squad,” added Law, who took over the reins of Nepal in March.

The Australian acknowledged the hardships that the ICC associate members like Nepal endure, but does not want to settle for mediocrity when a big opportunity arises. “We are very aggressive with the way we think. We do not want to be one of the teams that just turn up and play.” To Stuart, all are equal before the ‘Law’!

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