Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) General Manager Britant Khanal has resigned from his position, blaming harassment by the cricket governing body’s president Chatur Bahadur Chand.

“…I decided to resign after he (Chand) came to CAN’s headquarters under the influence of alcohol in broad daylight and misbehaved with me, using foul language,” alleged Khanal in a Facebook post on Saturday.

He was appointed to the position of general manager on April 16, 2022.

Khanal also accused Chand and a few influential board members of being involved in unnecessary micro-management in the administrative works of CAN.

“He misused his position on multiple occasions, sometimes claiming that there was pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office and at other times, from political parties to get his interests served. If he could not fulfill his interests then he would warn of sacking. I could not accept to work with a slave mentality, so I decided to quit,” said Khanal.

He also claimed non-transparency in the financial management at CAN. “The board has been interfering in the financial matters as well and the audit is also non-transparent, not accountable. The fund CAN gets from the International Cricket Council (ICC) should have been used for the betterment of cricketers and the game in an accountable way, but that is not the case,” Khanal the Post.

Khanal claimed that he was harassed in front of CAN's treasurer Roshan Singh and the acting secretary Durga Raj Pathak at CAN’s office in Mulpani, about a week ago. “I was expecting that the duo would initiate action against the harassment, but both of them chose to remain mum,” he added.

CAN President Chand, also the Baitadi district president of Nepali Congress, refuted all allegations against him. “The general manager had submitted resignation last Saturday and it was approved at a board meeting held yesterday (Friday). Better to ask him, if he was harassed or not. He submitted his resignation a week ago and is making such allegations after his resignation was approved by the board,” said Chand.

“He should have gone for legal action if he was really harassed. All the allegations, including misbehaving with him, financial irregularities and other charges are baseless,” Chand claimed.

Meanwhile, the CAN board meeting held late evening on Friday has decided to conduct a general convention, which will elect new leadership, on September 22 and 23. The meeting also decided to participate in the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in July, ICC Women’s World Cup Asia Qualifier in August and September and the Asia Cup in August and September.

CAN member Padam Khadka has been assigned the coordinator's role to study the prospects of the upcoming edition of NepalT20. Chhumbi Lama and Kailash Bista are other members of the Khadka-led committee.

The meeting also decided to name the upper Mulpani Stadium as Jai Kumar Nath Shah International Cricket Stadium in memory of the late Shah who had served as the CAN president for more than four decades.