Cricket fans in Nepal today burnt the effigy of a CPN-Maoist leader for allegedly criticising the players of the country's national team who have just returned from Bangaldesh after a decent performance in the T20 World Cup.
CPN-Maoist secretary CP Gajurel's effigy was burnt in Dadeldhura district in western Nepal for criticising the players during a television programme.
"Cricketers are now the heroes in Nepal. We must have seen the crowd of people at the airport. In fact, politicians who brave jail, nail and bullets for years are the real heroes," Gajurel, secretary of breakaway faction of Unified CPN-Maoist that boycotted last year's Constituent Assembly polls, had reportedly said on Saturday.
"Cricket is an absurdity. We should not run behind this. How much good the players play cricket, it is not going to change the face of Nepal," Gajurel had said.
Reacting to Gajurel's remarks, Nepalese national cricket team captain Paras Khadka wrote on his Facebook page: "If Nepalese cricket is bad, I also have to be bad."
Gajurel, meanwhile, issued a statement saying he did not pass any derogatory remarks against Nepalese cricket.
"I have not spoken anything that insults the Nepalese cricketers," Gajurel said.