Nepali cricket team off to Sri Lanka in course of participation in Asia Cup Qualifier

Kumar Chaulagain  Kathmandu, Aug 20 :Nepali cricket team has left here for Sri Lanka en route to Malaysia to play the 2018 Asia Cup Qualifier scheduled to be held from August 29 to September 6. During its stay in Sri Lanka, the Nepali squad will play practice matches with three local clubs there before departing for Malaysia.

Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara bade farewell to the team amidst a progrmme here today before the team flew to Sri Lanka. Wishing the team all the success in the tournament, he said he was full confident that the team would progress to the 2018 Asia Cup by winning the qualifying match. On the occasion, he said that Nepal's outstanding performance in the recent one day international (ODI) tournament in the Netherlands had brought him profound happiness. He took the moment to call on the team to leave no stone unturned to give their best in Malaysia, too.

Team main coach Jagat Tamata said though monsoon caused some problems in the training for the team, practice matches the team is playing in Sri Lanka would obviously help improve the team's performance. Describing all teams taking part in the Malaysia qualifying tournament 'equally competitive', he said he was hopeful that the Nepali team would make it way towards the Asia Cup.

Team captain  Parash Khadka promised to give their best in the tournament and leave no stone unturned to make the country proud.

There remains a pressure for Nepal to win the match as it has already  earned the ODI status, according to him.    

 Nepal, under the Asia Cup qualifier, will play against United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong, Singapore and Oman including the host country Malaysia.

Nepal will face Oman on August 29, UAE on August 30, host country Malaysia on September 1, Singapore on September 2 and Hong Kong on September 4.

The top two countries will contest in the final match while the winner will make its journey towards the 2018 Asia Cup cricket tournament to kick off in the UAE in mid-September.

The winner in the Qualifier will get to play group match against India and Pakistan that are in the Group A of the Asia Cup.

 The test nations such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan among others will take part in the Asia Cup.

Nepali cricket squad comprises captain Paras Khadhka, vice-captain Gyanendra Malla and players Basant Regmi, Anil Kumar Shah, Binod Bhandari, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Lalit Bhandari, Lalitnarayan Rajbanshi, Aashif Sheikh, Rohit Kumar Poudel, Sagar Pun, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami and Subash Khakurel.

Likewise, players as Pradeep Airee, Kishor Mahato, Sunil Dhamala and Sushan Bhari are in the substitution.

Sandeep Lamichhane who is playing domestic league in the West Indies would not play in the practice match. He will directly go to Malaysia from West Indies to play in the qualifying match.