<p class="title">Michael Clarke claims to have done nothing but "smile" every time he saw Sandeep Lamichhane bowl but Nepal's first IPL-contracted cricketer says he owes his growth to the former Australian captain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Clarke has been a mentor to the 17-year-old Nepal leg-spinner who has scripted history with a Rs 20 lakh IPL contract with the Delhi Daredevils.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Clarke could never really warm up to the IPL like many of his fellow Australians. A graceful Test batsman, he played just one season with the now-defunct Pune Warriors in 2012, scoring 98 runs in six matches.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Michael Clarke has had the biggest influence on me as a cricketer. From the time, he saw me bowling at the Hong Kong Sixes, he kept an eye on me. He is a kind man, a humble soul, who has helped me grow as a cricketer and a person," Lamichhane told PTI during an exclusive interview from Dubai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Clarke, on his part, has been modest about the "influence" that Lamichhane spoke about.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I did nothing mate apart from smile every time I watched him bowl," he had responded on Twitter when his role in his growth was pointed out.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even before IPL players' auction, Lamichhane had been in touch with Clarke, calling the interactions therapeutic to an extent.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Speaking to him helped me relax. It was a lifetime experience to have played under him for Western Suburbs Cricket Club in Sydney grade league. That has been a huge gain for a young player like me," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The leg-break is his stock delivery but Lamichhane has become more confident about executing the googly as well.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I always had a good leg-break but I have now developed an effective googly working hard with my Nepal national team coach Raju Khadka," the teenager said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"So when Delhi Daredevils summoned me for trials I was fully confident that their coaches would be impressed with my skills. And in any case, if you don't have self-confidence, you can't play the next level that is IPL," he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the tiny Himalayan nation still can't boast of great cricketing facilities, Lamichhane said he is nonetheless indebted to Cricket Association of Nepal for backing him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Yes, it's true that we only have one proper cricket stadium in Nepal but we have had the determination. I owe it to Nepal cricket as playing for my country got me the prominence. If I have got a contract with Delhi Daredevils, it is because of my performances for the national team," Lamichhane said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His childhood idols are Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As a child, the two people whom I looked up to were Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. For me, they are the two greatest cricketers. I would never miss an opportunity to watch whenever they played. I would watch their recordings," Lamichhane added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lamichhane has been flooded with calls from people from all walks of life and he is just soaking in the appreciation that's coming his way.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I have got congratulatory messages from Nepal ministers, general people. My father says that IPL is my opportunity to make my country proud. I would need to grab it with both hands," he concluded.</p>
<p class="title">Michael Clarke claims to have done nothing but "smile" every time he saw Sandeep Lamichhane bowl but Nepal's first IPL-contracted cricketer says he owes his growth to the former Australian captain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Clarke has been a mentor to the 17-year-old Nepal leg-spinner who has scripted history with a Rs 20 lakh IPL contract with the Delhi Daredevils.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Clarke could never really warm up to the IPL like many of his fellow Australians. A graceful Test batsman, he played just one season with the now-defunct Pune Warriors in 2012, scoring 98 runs in six matches.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Michael Clarke has had the biggest influence on me as a cricketer. From the time, he saw me bowling at the Hong Kong Sixes, he kept an eye on me. He is a kind man, a humble soul, who has helped me grow as a cricketer and a person," Lamichhane told PTI during an exclusive interview from Dubai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Clarke, on his part, has been modest about the "influence" that Lamichhane spoke about.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I did nothing mate apart from smile every time I watched him bowl," he had responded on Twitter when his role in his growth was pointed out.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Even before IPL players' auction, Lamichhane had been in touch with Clarke, calling the interactions therapeutic to an extent.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Speaking to him helped me relax. It was a lifetime experience to have played under him for Western Suburbs Cricket Club in Sydney grade league. That has been a huge gain for a young player like me," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The leg-break is his stock delivery but Lamichhane has become more confident about executing the googly as well.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I always had a good leg-break but I have now developed an effective googly working hard with my Nepal national team coach Raju Khadka," the teenager said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"So when Delhi Daredevils summoned me for trials I was fully confident that their coaches would be impressed with my skills. And in any case, if you don't have self-confidence, you can't play the next level that is IPL," he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the tiny Himalayan nation still can't boast of great cricketing facilities, Lamichhane said he is nonetheless indebted to Cricket Association of Nepal for backing him.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Yes, it's true that we only have one proper cricket stadium in Nepal but we have had the determination. I owe it to Nepal cricket as playing for my country got me the prominence. If I have got a contract with Delhi Daredevils, it is because of my performances for the national team," Lamichhane said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His childhood idols are Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As a child, the two people whom I looked up to were Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. For me, they are the two greatest cricketers. I would never miss an opportunity to watch whenever they played. I would watch their recordings," Lamichhane added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Lamichhane has been flooded with calls from people from all walks of life and he is just soaking in the appreciation that's coming his way.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I have got congratulatory messages from Nepal ministers, general people. My father says that IPL is my opportunity to make my country proud. I would need to grab it with both hands," he concluded.</p>