The beaming smile on Michael Leask’s face said it all. Wearing a multi-coloured pointy hat with matching scarf while clutching a vibrant bouquet of flowers, the Scotland all-rounder’s welcome in Nepal was as enthusiastic and life-affirming as he had predicted.
The land in the shadow of Mount Everest might not immediately spring to mind whenever one thinks of cricket-obsessed spots but Leask has experienced this all before and knows just how deep their devotion runs.
“It's like a mini-India,” surmised the Aberdonian a few days before he started the lengthy journey to this land-locked country of some 30 million inhabitants, many of whom treasure the bat and ball game just as passionately as those in the Asian sub-continent to the south.
Just how fervent they are Leask and the rest of the overseas players – including fellow Scotland internationals Chris Sole and Brandon McMullen - will discover when the inaugural edition of the T20 Nepal Premier League gets underway this weekend.
Leask, who has been snapped up by the Pokhara Avengers, is ready to embrace the madness, eager to throw himself wholeheartedly into a country that adores cricket almost as much as he does.
“Nepal is a fantastic place,” he says. “They’re just mental for cricket. They absolutely love the game and the passion they show is incredible. I’ve been following a lot of their social media knowing I was heading over there and you can see thousands turning out for things like a jersey reveal and how excited everyone is getting the closer it gets to the tournament starting.
“That gives you a buzz before you even get there, just knowing what it’s going to be like and how enthusiastic they’re going to be during all the matches. They’ve now got their own T20 franchise tournament and you can tell how proud they are about that.
“We, as in Scotland, played them quite recently in the USA and even then Nepal had 30 or 40 folk at the match in Dallas just screaming for them. Their national team seems to have a following everywhere in the world and it’s incredible that any associate country has that.
“I first experienced it in Ayr [a List A series in 2015] and we only had about 30 supporting us and there were around 1000 Nepalese fans! So, it was amazing to be a part of that and I can't wait to experience more of the same."
Leask has good memories from his previous visit to this part of the world. That came on international debut at the start of last year when Scotland were crowned World Cricket League 2 champions following a series in Kirtipur that saw Leask make an unbeaten century. Playing at altitude can often be a struggle for those not accustomed to it but the setting evidently suited him well.
“That was probably the best associate ground I’ve played at in terms of crowd and atmosphere,” he recalls. “I’m in the process of moving house so had to factor that in as the timing of this wasn’t great for us as a family. But cricket-wise it was a no-brainer when this possibility was mentioned as I had such a great experience playing over there with Scotland.
“The supporters were really generous toward both sides and I got a really nice reaction when I made my hundred. But whenever Nepal took a wicket or a catch or made a boundary the noise was deafening. I’ve played in some big occasions and big grounds throughout my career but nothing beats that.
“Playing at altitude makes it a bit different. You get fatigued quite quickly but I obviously did okay there and hopefully it will be the same again in this tournament. I’m just keen to get the chance to become immersed in their culture and feel a proper part of the whole thing.”
Leask is just grateful for the chance to play some more competitive cricket before the end of the year. Scotland last played in late October and there are no fixtures yet confirmed in the calendar for 2025, although the European qualifier for the 2026 T20 World Cup will take place at some point.
That lack of clarity is a frustrating by-product of associate cricket but Leask hopes having players like him and others touring the global T20 circuit in the meantime can only benefit the national set-up in the longer term.
“It’s nice to get in a bit more cricket before Christmas and then get home and take stock of how the year has been,” he adds. “So far I’ve played in two franchise events and won both so no pressure going into this one!
“But these events let you get an insight into how players from different countries go about things and learn from them. And hopefully those shared experiences will provide useful when we get back together as Scotland at some point in the new year.”
