Nepal gear up for Div 2
Posted by Krisha Music on Monday, December 22, 2014 | 0 comments
KATHMANDU, DEC 19 - Standing
at the crossroads, the national cricket team started their preparation for an
all-important ICC World
Cricket League (WCL) Division 2 tournament
in Namibia with primary focus on enhancing skills and improving fitness levels
during their 15-day camp in Kathmandu.
Having already attained the
Twenty20 International Status, Nepal’s future in the multiple formats of the
game will be determined by the January 17-24 event in the South African nation
where the top two teams will be guaranteed a spot in the ICC World
Cricket League Championship (WCLC) and ICC Intercontinental Cup
(ICup).
Winning a spot in the WCLC
and ICup – the lengthy tournaments for ICC Associate teams to be played in
50-over and four-day formats – will mean a lot for Nepal whose poor domestic
cricket structure has not yielded much for future. Coach Pubudu Dassanayake and
his team have planned a phase-wise preparation beginning with their fortnightly
training in Kathmandu where they don’t want to leave any stone unturned.
“We have categorised our
training into three phases and the Kathmandu part is going to be important
because this is where we are preparing to make ourselves the fittest team for
Namibia event apart from enhancing our skills,” Dassanayake told The Kathmandu
Post during a training session at the TU grounds on Thursday. Nepali batsmen
will be aided by two fast bowlers from Sri Lanka, while they will also be
assisted by specialist coaches. After the 15-day camp, the national team will
leave for a 10-day training in South Africa where they will play four 50-over
matches against local teams in Benoni before leaving for Namibia.
“South Africa will be a
place where we will go through match scenarios,” said the coach. “We will play
with some average teams and test ourselves. The tournament itself will be an
execution part of our training,” added the coach who was content with the way
his plans have been materialised in the build-up so far. “The best thing about
the training part is that the current set of players have been with me for
quite a long time,” continued the Nepal coach. “They are fully aware of my
training regime.”
Former national team skipper
Binod Das, who has been appointed assistant coach, acknowledged the importance
of the event. Das said the coaching staff is dedicated to get the best out of
the camp in Kathmandu. “We are undergoing some rigorous physical fitness drills
and the guys have responded pretty well,” said the former seamer.
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