Nepal team must begin preparations for tough challenges in Bangladesh next year
NOV 29 -
For the first time in sports history, a Nepali team will be competing at the World Cup. With their down-to-the-wire win against Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Nepali cricket team has secured a berth at the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in March next year. Under a sweltering Middle Eastern sun, the Nepal team played a robust game, especially as Hong Kong had set a target of 143-8. The game was close and after skipper Paras Khadka was run out at 46 runs in the 19th over, it looked like Nepal was headed for defeat. But closer Sharad Vesawkar came through, managing a six and a four in the first two balls of the last over. With the score tied at 143, Vesawkar sealed the victory for Nepal with one last winning run.
This win is certainly cause for celebration, as was evident in the spontaneous outpouring of cheers and feet onto the streets of Kathmandu after Vesawkar’s game-winning run. Credit must first go to the players, who displayed much resilience and dedication during their qualifying games. Coach Pubudu Dassanayake, who took the reins in 2010, and his rapport with Captain Khadka have also been integral. Under these two, the multi-ethnic Nepali cricket team has been ever improving. First, it was their much-lauded advance to Division 3 in 2012. The ambitious team followed this up by coming second in the ACC Twenty20 tournament in 2013 and finishing at the top of Division 3, opening the doors to the World Cup Qualifiers. This string of victories, coupled with their international exposure playing against strong sides, seems to have definitely given the team a boost of confidence.
Even as congratulations pour in, the team must realise that the challenges will only get tougher from now on. The team will have to be in top form while playing at the ICC World Cup in Bangladesh. Along with five other teams, Nepal will be placed in either a Zimbabwe or Bangladesh group; both of which are strong, experienced sides. The top two teams from these groups will then advance to play against the eight ICC Full Member teams, which consist of the heavyweights in world cricket. The Nepali team has come far, riding on fortitude and resolve, but that will not be enough anymore. With the Twenty20 World Cup less than four months away, the team must begin training right away, both physically and mentally. The government and the Cricket Association of Nepal will need to stay on the ball, making sure the players have proper diets and the right training infrastructure. A few international outings would also help keep the team in top form. For thousands of Nepalis, one long-cherished dream has already come true: to see Nepal play in a World Cup. Come March 2014, thousands more will be glued to their television screens, cheering on their cricketers and hoping against hope for a victory.
Posted on: 2013-11-29 08:54
NOV 29 -
For the first time in sports history, a Nepali team will be competing at the World Cup. With their down-to-the-wire win against Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Nepali cricket team has secured a berth at the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in March next year. Under a sweltering Middle Eastern sun, the Nepal team played a robust game, especially as Hong Kong had set a target of 143-8. The game was close and after skipper Paras Khadka was run out at 46 runs in the 19th over, it looked like Nepal was headed for defeat. But closer Sharad Vesawkar came through, managing a six and a four in the first two balls of the last over. With the score tied at 143, Vesawkar sealed the victory for Nepal with one last winning run.
This win is certainly cause for celebration, as was evident in the spontaneous outpouring of cheers and feet onto the streets of Kathmandu after Vesawkar’s game-winning run. Credit must first go to the players, who displayed much resilience and dedication during their qualifying games. Coach Pubudu Dassanayake, who took the reins in 2010, and his rapport with Captain Khadka have also been integral. Under these two, the multi-ethnic Nepali cricket team has been ever improving. First, it was their much-lauded advance to Division 3 in 2012. The ambitious team followed this up by coming second in the ACC Twenty20 tournament in 2013 and finishing at the top of Division 3, opening the doors to the World Cup Qualifiers. This string of victories, coupled with their international exposure playing against strong sides, seems to have definitely given the team a boost of confidence.
Even as congratulations pour in, the team must realise that the challenges will only get tougher from now on. The team will have to be in top form while playing at the ICC World Cup in Bangladesh. Along with five other teams, Nepal will be placed in either a Zimbabwe or Bangladesh group; both of which are strong, experienced sides. The top two teams from these groups will then advance to play against the eight ICC Full Member teams, which consist of the heavyweights in world cricket. The Nepali team has come far, riding on fortitude and resolve, but that will not be enough anymore. With the Twenty20 World Cup less than four months away, the team must begin training right away, both physically and mentally. The government and the Cricket Association of Nepal will need to stay on the ball, making sure the players have proper diets and the right training infrastructure. A few international outings would also help keep the team in top form. For thousands of Nepalis, one long-cherished dream has already come true: to see Nepal play in a World Cup. Come March 2014, thousands more will be glued to their television screens, cheering on their cricketers and hoping against hope for a victory.
Posted on: 2013-11-29 08:54
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