Team picked up for Asia Cup Qualifiers

Kathmandu, August 9

A two-member selection panel has picked up 19-member preliminary squad for the Asia Cup Qualifier 2018.

In the absence of Cricket Association of Nepal and selection committee, national team head coach Jagat Tamatta and captain Paras Khadka selected the squad for the August 29 to September 6 event to be held in Malaysia. Skipper Khadka and his deputy Gyanendra Malla were among the 13 of the 15 cricketers picked from the team that made One Day International debut earlier this month in the Netherlands.

Anil Kumar Sah, Basant Regmi, Dipendra Singh Airee, Karan KC, Lalit Bhandari, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Md Arif Sheikh, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami and Subash Khakurel were retained. Likewise, Pradeep Airee, Kishor Mahato, Binod Bhandari, Sagar Pun, Sunil Dhamala and Sushan Bhari also found the place in the squad.

The camp will start in Kathmandu on August 14 and the final 15-member team will be selected in due course, informed team manager Raman Shiwakoti.

Sharad Vesawkar, who was injured during the first ODI match against Netherlands on August 1 and will need at least four weeks to recover, was not considered for selection along with veteran Shakti Gauchan, who has already announced his retirement.

Meanwhile, Shiwakoti informed that Apurva Subodh Desai, appointed by the Asian Cricket Council as batting consultant for the Asia Cup Qualifier, wouldjoin the team on August 14. After the camp, the team will travel to Sri Lanka on August 20 to play three practice matches before heading towards Malaysia.