If Nepali Under-15 cricket team could repeat the performance that their preceding team showed two years earlier, the colts will bring back home the lost hopes for the game along with a precious trophy from United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Nepal in last U-15 Asia Cup in UAE defeated all non-Test playing nations and Bangladesh before going down to eventual winner Pakistan in the semifinal by 27 runs. The only other match Nepal lost during the event was against another Test nation India by same margin.
This time, the four Test-nations from Asia won’t participate thus creating a very good chance for Nepal to win the trophy. Though Nepal has lost hopes with disheartening recent performances, the victory in U-15 Asia Cup could bring back the lost glory.
“I agree fully, and we expect this side to do well,” coach Roy Dias said. His captain Sashi Keshari, the hero of Nepal’s one-wicket victory over South Africa in the U-19 Youth World Cup in Bangladesh, knows that well. “We need to win, and we hope to do so,” Keshari who hit the winning boundary as the No 11 batsman against South Africa said.
The U-15 team is currently at Kathmandu training hard for the event. They earlier had three-week camp in Birgunj. “Cricket Association of Nepal’s decision to held camp in Birgunj was good because the weather of UAE is similar,” Dias told the Post. “But we have to come to Kathmandu for the last week because there is no bowling machine.”
Dias is focusing on batting against pace bowlers. “Batting has always been our problem because we don’t have proper experience of playing longer games and turf pitches,” Dias said adding that the bowling as always is good. “This time we have better pacers too.”
Keshari also believed his team is balanced. “We have good medium pacers,” he said adding that batting is also stronger compared to other teams. Gyanendra Malla of Kathmandu is expected to repeat what Sarad Vesawkar did last time. Sarad scored 274 runs in 8 innings with an average of 45.67 with a fifty and a century and was the main reason behind Nepal’s good performance.
Paras Khadka, who had already established himself as a regular to senior side as Sarad, also played well scoring 209 runs and taking 9 wickets. Last captain Raj Shrestha took 18 wickets with his spin and Keshari, who is a leg-spinner, expects to do same. “This time the team looks a little weak compared to that team,” Dias said. “But hopefully we will win the event.”
Nepal’s U-15 appearance last year saw six victories – two against Kuwait and one each against Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and Qatar. The highest score any team scored against Nepal was 185 by India.
The U-15 Asia Cup begins April 11 and concludes on April 22. For the first round, Nepal is drawn along Qatar, Afghanistan and Iran.