Despite playing at the home, Nepali U-16 cricket team led by Switchon Shah had to satisfy only as runner-up in the first edition of the ACC U-16 Elite Cup in 2010. Singapore had defeated Nepal in the final of the first edition.
New bunch of Nepali U-16 cricketers are gearing up for the second edition of the ACC U-16 Elite Cup and they have not only to step into the shoes of their seniors but also to move one-step ahead and win the title. The second edition of the ACC U-16 Elite Cup will be held in Malaysia from May 4 to 13.
The current U-16 team has been going through last phase of closed camp training under the guidance of coach Manjur Alam Khan. Deependra Chand is the captain of the U-16 Nepali team.
“We got very short period to prepare for the tournament. However, I’m focusing the closed cup training on match scenario and match practices. Boys are improving in all departments,” said Khan.
Khan said that he is working on the area of fitness also. “I’m trying to make boys fit enough in the short training period. They have a pressure to be fit but it is only to a limit,” said Khan.
“We have a bunch of talented players in the team. If you ask me to name some of them, they would be Deependra Chand, Adil Khan, Shashi Bhusan Mishra as batsmen, Jagadish Chand and Kali Charan Yadave as medium pacers and Rupesh Banstola as spinner,” added Khan.
Khan described the upcoming tournament as a challenge for himself and the whole team. “It is certainly a challenge for the team but challenges give us opportunities to prove ourselves,” said Khan.
The U-16 team has been training 4-5 hours daily at the TU Cricket Ground under the closed camp training. “Our ultimate aim is to win the title but to reach there we’ll focus on a match at a time,” said Khan.