It was the 1996 Cricket World Cup in India. In the quarterfinal against New Zealand, Stuart Law, sporting a French-cut beard, came out to bat with Steve Waugh, and helped lead Australia to the semifinals. Today, that same Law is the head coach of the Nepali cricket team.

At an event hosted by community leader Kashi Ram Bhandari in Scotland to honour the Nepali team, Law smiled and remarked, “That style is long gone now, the beard is completely shaved off.”

Under Law, Nepal, amidst a rebuilding phase, pulled off sensational results in the first two matches of the ICC CWC League 2 tri-series in Scotland. At Forthill in Dundee, Nepal stunned Scotland with a dramatic 1-wicket win in the first match, and then defeated the Netherlands by 5 wickets in the next. These results came as a shock to both Scotland and the Netherlands.

Many are calling this the beginning of a new era for Nepali cricket—and rightly so. This Scotland tour was expected to be Nepal’s toughest, considering the conditions, pitches and opposition. Yet, by winning their first two games, Nepal have climbed from the bottom of the League 2 standings (8th place) to 7th, keeping alive their hopes of retaining the ODI status.

“This is the toughest series Nepal have ever played, and so far, we’re doing well,” Law, who took over as head coach just a month ago, told the Post. “Our goal is high, and we want to finish this tour with strong results.”

Under his guidance, the team seems to be rejuvenated and is beginning to regain top form.

For Law, producing results in Associate cricket is nothing new. Under his leadership, the USA reached the Super Eight in the T20 World Cup on home soil last year, surpassing teams like Pakistan and Ireland.

Further, Law is especially impressed by the passionate Nepali crowds supporting the team in Scotland. He recalled being astonished last year when Nepal played the Netherlands in Dallas and over 7,000 of the 8,000 fans present were Nepali.

Law also brings experience with English conditions, having once coached the English county team Middlesex. Nepal still have one match left against both Scotland and the Netherlands, scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. After Monty Desai took over as head coach in 2023, Nepal won 11 out of 12 League 2 matches. Law appears to be continuing that winning momentum.

“So far, things are going well. We’ve had good results in the first two games. But the journey isn’t over,” Law said. “We’re preparing for the next two matches. We believe we can repeat the results from the first two.

“Our players are performing well, but Scotland and the Netherlands will certainly work hard to turn things around in their favour.”

In 2009, Law was the assistant coach of the Sri Lankan national team. He later became head coach of Bangladesh (2011–12), the West Indies (2018), and briefly led Afghanistan for a series in 2022.

According to captain Rohit Kumar Paudel, Law and former coach Desai share a similar calm approach under pressure.

“Coach Law has kept the dugout calm, which might be the mantra of most coaches,” Paudel said, adding, “Everyone praises results, but his vision of maintaining calm in the dugout is different. Results come and go, but he motivates us to stick to our effort.”

Paudel also noted that Law hasn’t tried to change any player’s natural game. “He tells us to play the way we play, and that he’ll support us.”

“My batting hasn’t changed in the past week, because I’ve been playing this way for the past 7–8 years,” Paudel said. “The coach says ‘continue doing what’s been working’.”