The International Cricket Council, the world cricket governing body, has lifted a ban it had imposed on the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) in April 2016, on a conditional basis.

According to a media release issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after its board meeting in Dubai on Monday, memberships of Nepal and Zimbabwe "have been reinstated".

“Nepal has also been reinstated on a conditional basis following their 2016 suspension for breach of the ICC regulations which prohibit government interference and require free and fair elections," states the release. "The election of the 17-member Central Working Committee for the CAN was completed earlier this month and paved the way for the re-admittance of the CAN.”

The apex international cricket body, however, has stopped short of making public the conditions. It said that a transition plan would be made for Nepal in addition to controlled funding.

“Given the progress made in Nepal, a transition plan will now be developed for the Cricket Association of Nepal to support full compliance with Associate Membership criteria, which will also involve controlled funding," the release has quoted ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar ad saying.

ICC had suspended CAN on April 2016 citing dual existence of the cricket governing body in Nepal and government interference in the election.

Nepali cricket has long been in crisis after a faction of the previous CAN committee led by Tanka Aangbuhang held its general assembly and subsequently went on to the polls without the support of the National Sports Council (NSC), the country’s main sports governing body.

The Council had refused to give legitimacy to the new body under now newly elected President Chatur Bahadur Chand, which was formed on December 15, 2015, following a controversial mid-night election that was not contested by then CAN president Aangbuhang and his faction.

The Sports Council, in February, had formed an ad-hoc committee under Ramesh Silwal which prompted ICC to suspend CAN.

Later, ICC had formed an advisory committee in 2016 entrusting it with the responsibility of drafting a new statute of Nepal's cricket governing body and facilitating a fresh election.

The new statute was unanimously approved by CAN in April 2018. ICC had formed the Independent Committee in July last year and tasked with overseeing the elections of districts and provinces under the newly adopted statute. The election process of districts and provinces concluded earlier this month. ICC and NSC had jointly announced the date of the election on September 15.