KATHMANDU, Oct 1: A 14-member Nepal national cricket team has been announced to participate in the upcoming ICC World T20 Asia Qualifier ‘B’ that is being held in Malaysia from October 1 through 13 this year.
Opening batsman Pradeep Airee has made a return in the national team after the absence of four years.
Sharad Vesawkar has also made his return from the injury which kept him out of the Asia Cup Qualifiers last month in Malaysia. He will take the middle order spot vacated by Rohit Kumar Paudel who is currently on tour with the Nepal national U-19 cricket team participating in the Youth Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
These are the only two changes in the squad that toured Malaysia last time whilst Sagar Pun was dropped from the squad who made a triumphant comeback in the national team last month.
CAN announce Nepali team for ICC T20 World Cup Final Asia Quali...
The selection committee comprised of International Cricket Council (ICC) representative Aminul Islam, head coach Jagat Tamatta, and national cricket team skipper Paras Khadka.
The team will depart to Malaysia today accompanied by a three-man support staff including team manager Raman Shiwakoti and head coach and physiotherapist Dinesh Bhatta.
Sagar Pun, Sunil Dhamala, DIpesh Shrestha and Shahab Alam have been announced as reserved players for the 12-day regional qualifiers.
Nepal will face home team Malaysia, Singapore, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Thailand in the tournament from where top three teams will qualify for the regional finals along with Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The top two teams from the regional finals will qualify for ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, 2020.
SQUAD
Paras Khadka (C), Gyanendra Malla, Anil Kumar Sah, Basant Regmi, Binod Bhandari, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Lalit Bhandari, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Md. Arif Sheikh, Pradeep Airee, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sharad Vesawkar, Sompal Kami
