IF Kyle Coetzer thought he was on top of the world after beating England this year then he will find out what that really feels like in the next few weeks.
The Scotland cricket captain has endured a tumultuous 2018, with the high of beating the Auld Enemy for the first time in June making up for the crushing low of narrowly missing out on a place at next year’s World Cup.
Now he will end the year in Nepal where, among the rarefied air in the shadows of the world’s tallest mountain, he will take part in the third edition of an increasingly international-flavoured Everest Premier League (EPL).
Coetzer has been recruited by the Pokhara Rhinos to take part in the six-team Twenty20 competition that runs from December 8 to 22 at the Tribhuvan University Stadium. It will be his first time in Nepal and he is looking forward to another new challenge.
“You can see they’re trying really hard to make the EPL bigger and better every year,” the Aberdonian said. “In the communication I’ve had with the tournament organisers and the franchise owners they’re really keen to build the profile of cricket in Nepal – not necessarily inside the country where the sport is pretty huge anyway, but showing a wider, international audience what they can do.
“Playing at altitude will bring its own challenges. Hopefully it encourages me to run less and hit more boundaries! But it will be a whole different aspect to cricket for those of us not used to it. I’m intrigued to see the effects of that on a match.
“We’ll have a week’s worth of training, and get to know the team and the coach. I’ve always found new challenges have brought the best out of me. Wherever I’ve gone I find taking yourself out of your comfort zone can be quite special if you’re able to embrace it and not hide away. I’m hoping it will be the same again this time around.”
Nepal and Scotland met in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March, so Coetzer knows they are a nation on the rise in cricketing circles.
“They’re full of extremely dangerous players,” he said. “I’ve played against them a few times both in Scotland and at the World Cup qualifiers but this will be the first time I’ve been in Nepal. The games we’ve played in the last few years have been pretty competitive, especially the most recent one in Zimbabwe.
“That was a pretty tight affair and it got quite nerve-wracking towards the end but we managed to see it through. But they’ve got some fine spin bowlers who tend to get the best out of any surface and I don’t expect it will be any different at home.”
Scotland are now on the hunt for a new head coach following Grant Bradburn’s departure to join Pakistan and Coetzer believes whoever lands the post is taking over at a good time.
“I’d fully expect that job to attract a lot of high-calibre candidates,” he added. “Scotland are certainly on the rise and playing the right style of cricket to compete at the top level.
“The programmes that are in place I’m comfortable saying are the best I’ve been involved with, whether with Durham, Northants or wherever. Scotland are really pushing the boundaries now and I think we’ll see further progression in the years ahead.”
At 34 years old, however, he won’t be handing in his CV this time around.
“I’ve still very much got my playing head on! There are plenty of qualifiers and potential World Cups ahead in the next four or five years so that’s my focus. You’re a long time retired so, as long as I can keep my body glued together, I’ll keep going and trying to make runs.”
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