ICC confirms at least 36 ODIs for Nepal until January 2022

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the first eight series of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 to begin in August 2019 on the Road to India 2023.

The Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 provides more competitive cricket for Nepal, Namibia, Oman, PNG, Scotland, UAE and USA, with each team playing 36 One Day Internationals (ODIs) over two and half years from August 2019 to January 2022, where teams are just two steps away from the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

The League will see 126 ODIs played across 21 tri-series, with the first series kicking off in Scotland on 14 August 2019.

Each team will host three series at home and play six series abroad if all goes according to the plans.

  • Nepal will host USA and Oman from February 5 to 12 in 2020 at the TU Ground, Kathmandu for its first tri-series.
  • Two months later, Nepal will travel to Namibia to join hosts and Scotland for another tri-series from April 20 to 27.
  • From June 9 to 16, Nepal will play UAE and PNG at Amini Park, Port Moresby, PNG.
  • In June 2020, Nepal meets Scotland and Namibia.
  • In January 2021, Nepal will play USA and Oman.
  • In February 2021, Nepal will play UAE and PNG.
  • In August 2021, Nepal will meet USA and Oman.
  • In November 2021, Nepal plays Namibia and Scotland.
  • In January 2022, Nepal plays UAE and PNG

Each series will see teams play a total of six ODIs, with teams competing for the top three spots of the League 2 table which will confirm their place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2022.

The bottom four teams will drop into the Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-Off 2022 – which is a repechage event to the Global Qualifier- and will be joined by the winner of Challenge League A and B.

The top two teams from the Play-Off will keep their hopes alive of participating in India 2023.

For the first time in cricket’s history, 20 teams will have ODI status providing more opportunity for ODI cricket both in ICC events and in Member organised bilateral cricket, ICC said.

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Nepal is best-ranked Associate in global T20I ranking

Nepal is the ranked 11th in the world in the Twenty20 International cricket – the best ranking outside the Test world.

Nepal moved three spots from the last ranking when it was ranked 14th place.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today unveiled an expanded MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings table with 80 teams.

TThe first men’s T20I ranking table features all Members meeting the criteria of having played six matches against other ICC members since May 2016.

The move to expand the table follows ICC’s decision last year that all men’s T20 matches between Members from 1 January 2019 will be classified as internationals.

As with the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings, which were launched in October 2018, teams will need to play six matches against other teams in the previous three to four years to remain in the rankings table

The qualification process for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which is underway includes 58 T20I matches across five regional finals is likely to mean significant movements on the rankings over the coming months.

The first final was held in Papua New Guinea last month whilst the Africa final in Uganda (19-24 May), the Europe final in the Guernsey (15-19 June), the Asia final in Singapore (22-28 July) and the Americas final in the USA (19-25 August) are still to come.

Six of these teams will join hosts UAE, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Zimbabwe in the global qualifier in what will be another chance to improve their standings on the table as they try to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia.

MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings (as on 3 May)
1 Pakistan 286
2 South Africa 262
3 England 261
4 Australia 261
5 India 260
6 New Zealand 254
7 Afghanistan 241
8 Sri Lanka 227
9 West Indies 226
10 Bangladesh 220
11 Nepal 212
12 Scotland 199
13 Zimbabwe 192
14 Netherlands 187
15 Ireland 182
16 UAE 181
17 PNG 172
18 Oman 155
19 Hong Kong 152
20 Namibia 141

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Nepal hopes to claim U19 World Cup Spot

Following Nigeria’s success in claiming an ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 spot, the battle for the four remaining places heads to the Asia Qualifier in Malaysia, with six teams vying for the top spot. 

Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Singapore and the UAE will compete in the tournament taking place between 12 and 18 April, where the winners will become the 13th team to confirm their place in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2020. This is the second stage for teams in Asia, who due to the depth of strength in the region, competed in a Division 2 in 2018, where Kuwait and Oman qualified to continue their U19 journey.

The direct 2019 regional qualifiers provide teams with a winner-takes-all opportunity to compete in a World Cup. The winner of the Asia qualifier will join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Zimbabwe in the tournament next January and February.

15 matches will be played across three venues in the Kuala Lumpar area – Kinrara Oval, Bayuemas Oval and Selangor Turf Club.

Nepal captain Rohit Kumar Paudel recalls his first memories of Nepal in an ICC event: “I got introduced to cricket when Nepal played the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2014 in Bangladesh. Team unity and teamwork are my favourite things about cricket. The players are passionate and determined towards the game and there is huge fan following of cricket in Nepal. It would be one of the best moments of my life, as taking our team to the World Cup would make our country proud.”

Malaysia captain Muhammad Amir Azim Bin Abd Shukor shares his thoughts on what cricket can do for participants: “I got introduced to this game by my primary school teacher. My knowledge and love for the sport deepened as I continued to play frequently. Cricket has taught me the true meaning of patience, determination and stamina. I feel thrilled and I can’t wait to get into action alongside my teammates in the qualifier and hopefully onto the U19 Cricket World Cup itself. We have good facilities such as the world-class Kinrara, we are all looking forward to it.”

Kuwait captain Abdul Sadiq is looking forward to representing Kuwait in the competition: “The best thing is having to play with teammates as a single unit representing Kuwait at higher competitive levels. It will be a dream come true to qualify, as we have constantly worked hard for the last four years and I am willing to give it my everything. I used to watch my elder brother play cricket and practice, and got the interest to play myself at the age of 11.”

Singapore captain Aman Desai describes the unpredictability of cricket. “Cricket is an exciting sport. You never know what can happen the next ball. And It is the challenge of playing under pressure that I personally enjoy. Coming from a family where my elder brother and father played cricket, I was exposed to the sport at a young age and since then I never looked back. Being a small nation, we have a well-structured system with a very close-knit community. I look forward to making history and enjoy this once- in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

UAE captain Aryan Lakra shares his experiences of playing cricket in the UAE: “When I moved to Dubai eight years ago, my dad got me into a number of sports, but it was cricket which I liked the most. You get a chance to train with a lot of players you admire on TV whenever they come to the UAE, which has some of the best training facilities in the world. To play in a World Cup would be a dream come true for any cricketer around the world. I would be over the moon if we qualified”.

Oman captain Prathamesh Santosh Kumble said: “Cricket has a spirit of teamwork and responsibility among the youth. This is one of the most important things I realised when my parents enrolled me to a cricket academy at the age of seven in Muscat. Oman is a great place to play cricket we have well-maintained turf grounds, efficient coaches and competitive cricket going on.”

Fixtures

12 April: Malaysia v UAE (Kinrara Oval); Kuwait v Oman (Bayuemas Oval); Singapore v Nepal (Selangor Turf Club)

13 April: UAE v Nepal (Kinrara Oval); Kuwait v Singapore (Bayuemas Oval); Malaysia v Oman (Selangor Turf Club)

14 April: Reserve day

15 April: Oman v Singapore (Kinrara Oval); Malaysia v Nepal (Bayuemas Oval); UAE v Kuwait (Selangor Turf Club)

16 April: Malaysia v Kuwait (Kinrara Oval); UAE v Singapore (Bayuemas Oval); Oman v Nepal (Selangor Turf Club)

17 April: Reserve day

18 April: Kuwait v Nepal (Kinrara Oval); UAE v Oman (Bayuemas Oval); Malaysia v Singapore (Selangor Turf Club)

Squad Lists:

Nepal: Rohit Kumar Paudel (captain), Mahamad Asif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Pawan Sarraf, Sundeep Jora, Kamal Singh Airee, Rasid Khan, Rit Gautam, Sagar Dhakal, Surya Tamang, Pratis GC, Kushal Malla, Hari Bahadur Chauhan, Avishek Basnet.

Kuwait: Abdul Sadiq (captain), Akhil Sajeev Nair, Faez Ahmed Qureshi, Gokul Sunil Kumar, Govind Sunil Kumar, Hamza Ahmed Qureshi, Jandu Hamoud Amanullah, Jude Saldanha, Meet Bhaysar, Mirza Ahmed, Nomaan Budroo, Muhammad Umar, Muhammad Abdullah Farooq, Zeshaan Jilani.

Malaysia: Muhammad Amir Azim Bin Abdul Shukor (captain), Mohamad Irfaq Bin Wan Yusoff, Mohammad Hakim Bin Harisan, Muhammad Amirul Syahmi Bin Nor Shah, Mohamad Marzukh Hasnan, Mohammad Afiq Syakir Shahruddin, Aslam Khan Malik, Shamsul Ikmal Shamsul Azman, Haiqal Mohd Khair, Vijay Unni Suresh, Wan Amirul Zulkarnain Bin Wan Azman, Iezzat Daniel Fiqry Bin Ahmad, Muhahammad Arief Bin Mohd Yusof, Muhammad Syukri Bin Madeli.

Oman: Prathamesh Kumble (captain), Mohammed Sameer, Joel Biju, Amanpreet Singh Sirah, Joshin Vincent, Azam Ali, Yash Mehta, Arjun Saritha, Sanjaya Raj Ravindra, Sami Al Balushi, Muhammad Muzahir Raza, Jeel Yagnesh Tanna, Neev Jayaprakash Poojari, Adeel Abbas.

Singapore: Aman Desai (captain), Sai Harsha Venugopal, Ishaan Paul Sawney, Yashaswi Agrawal, Aryan Berry, Aiden Brian Sherry, Raoul Sharma, Atharva Rahul Gune, Sathish Kannusami, Vinit Chittesh Mehta, Pramesh Singhavi, Arnaav Karan Chabria, Chandramauli Sridev, Pranav Sudarshan Rajesh Krishnan.

UAE: Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron William Benjamin, Muhammad Akasha Tahir, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ashwanth Valthapa Chidambaram, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Roshan Lobo, Osama Hassan Shah, Vritya Aravind, Syed Muhammad Haider Ansh.

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Nepal announces team for U19 World Cup Qualifiers

Nepal has announced the 14-member squad for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier Asia 2019, to be held in Malaysia from April 10 to 18.

Rohit Kumar Paudel is named the captain. Sundeep Jora, Bhim Sarki and Pawan Sarraf, who were part of the senior team that beat UAE 2-1 in both ODIs and T20Is, are also named in the team.

Other members of the team are: Avishek Basnet, Hari Bahadur Chauhan, Kamal Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Asif Sheikh, Pratis GC, Rashid Khan, Rit Gautam, Sagar Dhakal and Surya Tamang.

Four players named reserved are Akash Chand, Lokesh Bahadur Bam, Ravi Kumar Sah and Sher Malla.

Support  Staff1. Raman Shiwakoti (Manager/Analyst)2. Binod Kumar Das (Coach)3. Vikram Nyaupane (Physio)

The squad was announced after the end of the Nepal’s practice tour to India.

The team will travel to Malaysia on April 6.

The winner of the qualifiers will qualify for the ICC U19 World Cup. Other participants in the tournament are Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore and UAE.

Posted in 2019, Featured, U19 World Cup Qualifiers Asia | Leave a comment

Sandeep Lamichhane to play for Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League

The Melbourne Stars announced the signing of Nepal’s star leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane as an international players for the Big Bash League 2018 season.

Sandeep will join the Stars from the commencement of the season, and will be available for approximately half the season pending his commitments with Sylhet Sixers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), returning in time for the February fixtures and BBL Finals.

He will be the first player from an Associate country to play as international signing in the BBL. Sandeep, however, has experience of playing grade cricket – the Sydney Premier League – in Australia in 2016, when he was mentored by Michael Clarke.

Sandeep had left for Australia immediately after the completion of matches of ICC World Cup T20 Asia Region Selection ‘B’ held in Malaysia recently. Replacing Sandeep during his BPL stint will be Matt Parkinson, a talented 21 year old leg-spinner with impressive first-class and T20 bowling statistics from his time at Lancashire, England.

The young Nepal player said he was excited to join his Delhi team mate, Glenn Maxwell, and the rest of the Stars in Melbourne this summer. “I am delighted to be joining the Stars, it has always been a dream to play on the MCG. I am very excited to join the team,” said Sandeep.

Sandeep has already played in the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League and Afghanistan Premier League this year. The spinner played three matches for Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Daredevils (five wickets at 16.40, economy of 6.83); a further five for St Kitts and Nevis in the CPL (seven wickets at 15.14) and a match for Nangarhar Leopards (4-0-23-2).

Melbourne Stars list manager, Trent Woodhill, was tasked with searching the world for exciting new talent and was thrilled to secure both young superstars, including the first player from an Associate country to play in the BBL.

“I first saw Sandeep bowl for Nepal in the Asian U19 Championships in Malaysia and was immediately impressed by both his skill as a wrist spinner and also his energy. I watched Matt bowl for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast this season where he helped them reach the semi finals with some dominant performances,” said Woodhill.

Despite his age, Sandeep has already impressed on the world stage gaining contracts in various T20 competitions including the IPL, CPL, Global T20 Canada and the BPL this year.

“Lamichhane had a successful IPL debut for Delhi and bowled well in the CPL. We have high expectations that he will light up the BBL and become a star of the tournament,” said Woodhill.

Melbourne Stars CEO, Clint Cooper, said the Club was pleased that the new BBL rules around overseas replacement players allowed the Stars to secure two young players who could quickly become fan favourites.

“The increased flexibility with contracting overseas players this summer has provided us a great opportunity to showcase some of the world’s best up and coming talent. Wrist spinners have dominated T20 tournaments worldwide and we expect our new recruits along with our frontline leggie, Adam Zampa, to have a big impact this season, said Cooper.

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ICC revamps World Cup Qualification route

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board on October 20 unanimously approved a new qualification pathway for men’s 50-over World Cup at the conclusion of a week of meetings in Singapore.

From 2019, a new simplified 50 over league-based qualification structure for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, will be introduced that will see the amount of cricket played as part of the Road to India 2023 rise to 372 matches across a 2-3 year qualification period.

From 2019 onwards, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup qualification process will look as follows:

Cricket World Cup Super League: 12 full members and the Netherlands to compete; Starts in May 2020 for two years; total 156 matches with 24 ODIs per team; 7 top teams plus the host qualify to the Cricket World Cup 2023; Bottom 5 teams to CWCQ 2022.

Cricket World Cup League 2: 7 Associate nations (ranked 14 to 20 currently Scotland; Nepal and UAE + top 4 teams from WCL Division 2); Starts in July 2019 for 2.5 years; total 126 matches with 36 ODIs per team; Top 3 teams to CWCQ 2022 and Bottom 4 teams to CWCQ Play-off.

Cricket World Cup Challenge Leagues: 12 teams (6 each in two groups); from August 2019 to 2021; winner of each group progress to CWCQ Play-off.

2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup
1: India Confirmed participant: India (hosts)
7: Top 7 teams from CWC Super League
2: Finalists of CWCQ 2022

CWCQ 2022 teams
Total 10 teams
5: Bottom-ranked four teams from CWC Super League
3: Top-ranked three teams from CWC League 2
2: Finalists of CWCQ Play-Offs 2022

CWCQ Playoffs 2022 teams
Total 6 teams
4: Bottom-ranked 4 teams from CWC League 2
2: Winners of two groups of Challenge Leagues

How can Nepal qualify to the World Cup 2023?
1. Finish top three in the CWC League 2; reach final of the CWCQ 2022.
2. If not among top three of the CWC League 2, then reach two finals – of the WCWQ Play-off 2022 and CWCQ 2022.

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Nepal win the ICC World T20 Asia Qualifier ‘B’

Nepal fulfilled pre-tournament expectations to lift the ICC World Twenty20 Asia Qualifier ‘B’ trophy despite having their final match against Singapore abandoned in Malaysia on Friday.

Heavy rain in Klang denied either side a chance to end the tournament with six successive wins as Nepal finished top of the seven-team standings with 11 points, the same as Singapore, but with superior run-rate.

Malaysia defeated China by 10 wickets in Bangi to claim third spot on a better net run-rate from Thailand after both teams wound up with seven points.

The victory enabled Malaysia to join Nepal and Singapore in qualifying for the Asia Regional Finals from this tournament. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait qualified from the Asia Qualifier ‘A’ in April.

Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane emerged as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker after claiming 4/16 to take his tally to 24 as Singapore were bowled out for 81 in 17.3 overs at the Bayuemas Oval.

Sompal Kami (2/20) reduced Singapore to 15/2 after removing Aritra Dutta (4) and Chaminda Kumarage (6) before Lamichhane dismissed Singapore captain Chetan Suryawanshi for 9.

Surendran Chandramohan attempted to revive Singapore in a fourth-wicket stand of 28 with Manpreet Singh but after Basant Regmi had Surendran bowled for 25 following a brief rain interruption, Singapore lost their last six wickets for the addition of 21 runs.

Surendran, though, had the consolation of becoming the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 148 at an average of 29.60.

Nepal only faced three balls, with Shoaib Razzak having Anil Kumar Shah out for nought, before play was halted again at 1/1 due to heavy rain.

“It has been a well-disciplined, clinical tournament for us with everybody up to the mark irrespective of our opponents. We had to play to our standards and glad that we were able to do that,” said Nepal captain Paras Khadka.

“We can’t control the weather and 82 is a score we would have backed ourselves to get. This is just the first stage, the second round won’t be as easy as this round. Hopefully we can continue to show the form we have shown this past week.

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Nepal beats China in 11 balls

Nepal bowled out China for 26 runs and beat them in 11 balls to record its fifth win in a trot at the ICC World Twenty20 Asia Qualifier B.

At the Bayuemas Oval, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi and Basant Regmi each took three wickets as Nepal bowled China out for 26 runs. Sandeep, who was named Player of the Match for 3 wickets for 4 runs in 4 overs, raised his tally of wickets to a tournament-leading 20, nine ahead of Singapore’s Manpreet.

Just one Chinese batsman, Hong Jiang Yan reached double figures – opening the batting he made 11 from 27 balls, while six batsmen were out for ducks and one other remained not out on zero.

Binod Bhandari (24*) and Pradeep Airee then took just 11 balls to score 29 runs and secure Nepal’s fifth win of the competition.

Singapore, who have won all five matches in the tournament, set up a final day showdown with Nepal for the trophy. The two teams are top of the seven-team standings with 10 points each from five wins, and meet on Friday in Klang to decide the winners of the competition.

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Nepal advances to next round of ICC World T20 qualifiers beating Bhutan

Nepal secured its berth to the ICC World Twenty20 Asia Finals after confirming a top-three finish at the ICC World T20 Asia Qualifier ‘B’ in Malaysia on October 9 with a 117-run victory over Bhutan.

Alongside Nepal, Singapore also claimed a fourth win and a berth in the Finals with an eight-wicket victory over Thailand in Klang. Both teams have eight points with Nepal top of the standings on a better net run-rate. The two teams cannot finish lower than second as they are three points ahead of Malaysia and Thailand, who each have just one game remaining.

Nepal bowled Bhutan out for 33 runs in 16.4 overs after scoring 150 for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs at the UKM Oval. Sandeep Lamichhane and Lalit Rajbanshi shared the bowling honours with three wickets each as four Bhutan batsmen failed to score.

Earlier, Pradeep Airee paced Nepal with 75 runs for the highest score of the tournament after blasting six fours and two sixes off 68 balls. Pradeep, named Player of the Match, was supported by Anil Kumar Shah (27) as they put on 66 runs for the second wicket.

Brief scores: Nepal 150/4 in 20 overs (Pradeep Airee 75*, Anil Sah 27, DS Airee 15, Aasif Sheik 13, Karan KC 11*) beat Bhutan 33 all out in 16.4 overs (Tenzin Wangchuk jnr 11, LN Rajbanshi 3/4, Sandeep Lamichhane 3/6, Basant Regmi 2/7, DS Airee 1/13, Sharad Vesawkar 1/0) by 117 runs.

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Karan sets big win against Thailand in World T20 Qualifers

Nepal edged closer towards qualification from the ICC World Twenty20 Asia Qualifier ‘B’ after recording its third consecutive wins.

Nepal ended Thailand’s unbeaten start after a 140-run rout under the Duckworth/Lewis method in the second of two matches at the Bayuemas Oval.

Nepal top the standings on six points ahead of Singapore on net run-rate while Thailand slipped to third with five points from four matches, two ahead of fourth-placed Malaysia. Only the top three at the end of the round-robin tournament advance to the Asia Regional Finals.

Nepal meant business in setting the tournament’s highest total of 172-7 as Karan KC plundered 21 runs off Nicholas Janes in the final over, including three consecutive sixes, in compiling an unbeaten 40.

Karan later returned to claim three wickets for two runs to take the man-of-the-match honour as shell-shocked Thailand collapsed to 18/9 after 8.5 overs before play was called off due to rain.

A reshuffled line-up saw Nepal out of the blocks quickly when put in to bat by Thailand as Anil Kumar Shah (25), Binod Bhandari (15), Sharad Vesawkar (34) and Dipendra Singh Airee (30) quickly set about putting runs on the board.

But Thailand struck back in the middle of the innings with four wickets for the addition of 15 runs as Payuputh Sungnard finished with four for 21 before Karan’s final flourish in a 44-run stand for the eighth wicket with Sompal Kami.

Thailand could not have made a worst start to their chase after losing Md Shafiqul Haque and Daniel Jacobs after eight balls with just one run scored.

With dark clouds gathering over the ground, Nepal were in a hurry to wrap up the win and Thailand were soon 6/3 when Janes was trapped leg-before by Sandeep Lamichhane.

A day after taking five wickets against Malaysia, Sandeep again ended with five for eight including three scalps in the space of four deliveries in the eighth over to take his tournament tally to 14 wickets.

“It has been a good three games but we take nothing for granted and we go out there to do our best. I’m glad everybody has put in that effort” said Nepal captain Paras Khadka.

“At the end of the first innings, the weather looked a bit sketchy so we wanted to finish off the five overs as quickly as possible just to get a result under D/L. The bowlers responded splendidly.”

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Five-star Sandeep eases Nepal past Malaysia in World T20 Qualifiers

Sandeep Lamichhane became the first player in the seven-team tournament to claim five wickets in a match in Nepal’s eight-wicket win over Malaysia in Klang.

Man-of-the-match Lamichhane, who claimed five wickets in Nepal’s win over Malaysia, was aided by Sompal Kami (3/16) in dismissing Malaysia for 100 with three balls remaining at the Bayuemas Oval.

Captain Paras Khadka then dominated the Malaysian bowling with an unbeaten 52 off 37 balls for the second half-century of the tournament as Nepal comfortably reached 101/2 in 12.4 overs.

The hosts threatened to make it a contest when they began the 12th over at 75/2 but Sompal made a crucial breakthrough by bowling Malaysia captain Ahmad Faiz Mohammed Noor and Syahadat Ramli with successive deliveries.

Anwar Arudin denied Sompal’s bid for a hat-trick but Faiz’s exit saw Malaysia lose eight wickets for 25 runs. Sandeep was also denied a hat-trick by Sharvin Muniandy after ending Shafiq Sharif’s brave knock of 49 and having Virandeep Singh out for a golden duck.

Paras Khadka scores a half-century. Photo: Raman Shiwakoti/CAN,

Paras praised the contribution of Sandeep, whose five wickets came at the cost of 20 runs in four overs.

“It was a great effort by the bowlers to come back from 75/2 and I think a couple of wickets by Sompal really changed the momentum,” said Paras. “Sandeep just came and took over and overall we’re really happy with the bowling and fielding while the batting was clinical.”

“Sandeep has been exceptional every time he has come out to bowl. People expect him to take wickets and it’s not easy coming in with that expectation. He has managed to deliver and I hope he continues to do the same. The other bowlers support him from the other end and he’s come in as one of our attacking weapons.”

Paras had five fours and two sixes in his 37-ball stay at the crease and the captain effectively killed Malaysia’s hopes by hitting Pavandeep Singh for six, four and four off successive balls in the eighth over.

Malaysia’s Faiz rued his side’s inability to build on the start made by Shafiq, who fell just short of his second successive fifty after falling to Sandeep.

“Shafiq was the only one outstanding today and after my exit, it seemed everyone just went blank,” said Faiz. “To lose so many wickets quickly had a big effect on us.”

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Strong showing by Nepal on opening day of ICC WT20 Asia Qualifier B

Nepal beat Myanmar by 8 wickets as hosts Malaysia defeated Bhutan by 67 runs and Thailand overcame China by 10 wickets on the opening day of the ICC WorldT20 Asia Qualifier B.

Nepal bowled out Myanmar for 29 runs in 10 overs with Myanmar captain Htet Lin Aung scoring 16 runs off 20 balls.

Htet Ling Aung’s exit saw Myanmar lose their six remaining wickets for the addition of four runs as Player of the Match Lamichhane claimed 4/3 while Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi took 3/3.

Nepal lost an early wicket after Pradeep Airee departed without scoring having faced two balls before Anil Kumar Shah was dismissed leg-before for 11 but Karan KC ensured Nepal reached 30/2 off three overs without fuss with an unbeaten 14.

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Independent Panel meet to progress Nepal elections under revised constitution

The reinstatement of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has taken another step forward, with the first in-person meeting of the five-member Independent Panel tasked with overseeing the election process under the terms of the revised constitution which was unanimously adopted by CAN in April 2018.

Facilitated by ICC Deputy Chairman, Imran Khwaja, the meeting of the Independent Panel comprised of three representatives nominated by the ICC, Muhammad Ali, Head of Internal Audit; Ammar Shaikh, Senior Manager – Strategic Projects and Niteesha Kothari, Finance and Operations Officer – Asia. They were joined by Lekh Bahadur Chhetri nominated by the National Sports Council and Thakur Pratap Thapa nominated by the existing CAN Central Working Committee.

The meeting mapped out the process, guidelines and timelines for the district, provincial and central elections to be held under the terms of the revised constitution, while also urging all parties to ensure that all outstanding litigation in Nepal is withdrawn.

Imran Khwaja said: “This is a positive step forward for cricket in Nepal, the meetings this week have progressed well, and the ICC remains confident that this will lay a solid foundation for the long-term good governance of the sport in Nepal.”

Imran Khwaja also commended Nepal on their first One Day International (ODI) victory, which took place at the beginning of the month against the Netherlands. “Congratulations to Nepal for their first ODI victory, this is another example of the journey that Nepal are taking, and reinforces why it is so important to keep progressing off-field, as well as on it.”

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Sandeep, Sompal & Gyanendra enter ICC ODI Player Rankings

Three Nepalis – Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami and Gyanendra Malla have entered the MRF ICC ODI Players Rankings, the ICC said in a statement on August 13.

Leg spinner Sandeep is ranked 217th globally in bowlers’ ranking after taking four wickets in the two-match series against Netherlands. 

Sompal Kami (229th) and Gyanendra Malla (236th) are the leading batsmen for Nepal after notching a half-century each in the Amstelveen series.

Nepal still needs to play two more ODI to get a ranking in the ODI Team’s Rankings.

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Nepal register dramatic maiden ODI win by 1 run

Nepal achieved a dramatic last-ball victory over the Netherlands in a low-scoring thriller in the second ODI at Amstelveen to level the two-match series 1-1.

With the home side requiring six to win from the final over with just one wicket remaining, Nepal captain Paras Khadka (1/24 off six) held his nerve, going for just four runs and executing a run out off the final delivery to secure a one-run win.

He deflected a firm drive back onto the stumps before collecting the rebound and ripping a stump out of the ground to make sure, and spark wild celebrations.

With the visitors defending 216, the Netherlands made hard work of the chase as Nepal’s attack gave nothing away in a spirited bowling display.

sandeep-lamichhane-500x382-2118374

Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was the pick of an impressive line-up, taking 3/41 from his 10 overs, while left-armer Lalit Bhandari took 2/43 off nine, slow left-armer Basant Regmi 1/39 off 10.

Wesley Barresi had been the mainstay of the Dutch reply. The 34-year-old right-hander made a patient 71 off 89 balls with eight fours to hold things together even as the scoring was dried up and wickets fell around him.

He came to the crease in the eighth over with the score on 30 after Kami followed up his good work with the bat with the early wicket of Stephan Myburgh second ball. That was followed by the wicket of Ben Cooper for 19 off Bhandari.

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Barresi put on 84 with opener Daniel ter Braak and, while the Nepal spinners kept things tight, the home side looked to be cruising until the right-handed ter Braak was lbw to the excellent wrist-spin of Lamichhane.

Bas de Leede and Rippon then fell in quick succession to leave captain Seelaar to stick around with Barresi with the run-rate creeping up.

But the game was really on when Barresi fell lbw to the off-spin of Dipendra Airee with the Dutch still 74 adrift and with only four wickets and no top-order batsmen remaining.

Nos. 10 and 11 Fred Klaassen (13) and Paul van Meekeren (12*) looked to be steering the Netherlands ever closer to a nail-biting win, but runs hadn’t come easily all game and, with tensions rising, they were unable to overcome Khadka at the last.

Earlier, the Dutch left-arm opener Klaassen had ripped through the Nepal top-order to take 3/38 from his 10 overs. In removing the top three batsmen (Gyanendra Malla caught slip for 13, Anil Sah caught mid-on for 4 and wicket-keeper Subash Khakurel for 19) he reduced the tourists to 47/3 in the 12th over.

When Dipendra Airee was then run out following a misunderstanding with Khadka and then debutant Rohit Paudel fell to left-arm wrist-spinner Michael Rippon caught behind, Nepal were reeling at 88/5.

But their skipper held firm and held things together, making a 69-ball 51 that included two sixes and six fours. He fell to his opposite number Seelaar to leave the score at 135/6.

There was more to come from Nepal, though, as No.8 Kami struck crucial late blows in a 46-ball 61 featuring three sixes and five fours to help the tourists up to 216 all out. That crucial knock set up a famous victory for Nepal, who wrote another small chapter in their rapidly growing history as a cricket nation.

Rohit Paudel becomes fourth youngest ODI debutant

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It has been a historic series for Nepal against the Netherlands, but for one individual, it meant a little bit more.

At 15 years and 335 days, Rohit Kumar Paudel became the fourth youngest to play in the format when he was named in the Nepal XI on Friday, 3 August.

Pakistan’s Hasan Raza remains the youngest to play an ODI, having made his debut against Zimbabwe in 1996 aged just 14 years and 233 days.

More recently in 2013, Kenya’s Gurdeep Singh became the second-youngest to make his ODI debut, aged 15 years and 258 days, when he fronted up against Afghanistan.

Canada’s Nitish Kumar is third on the list – he was 15 years and 273 days when he played Afghanistan in Sharjah in 2010.

Aaqib Javed of Pakistan, aged 16 years and 127 days when he played the Windies at Adelaide in 1988, completes the top five.

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नेपाल एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रियमा (कान्तिपुर)

कप्तान पारस खडकाले टिम सूची म्याच रेफ्रीलाई बुझाउने छन् । टसको सिक्का सम्भवत: घरेलु टोली भएकाले नेदरल्यान्ड्सका कप्तान पिटर सिलारसँग हुनेछ । उनले ‘हेड अथवा टेल’ भन्नेछन्। पारसले त्यसमा एउटा छान्ने छन्। त्यससँगै नेपाल एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय क्रिकेट खेल्ने राष्ट्रमा प्रवेश गर्नेछ।

नेदरल्यान्ड्सको एमस्ट्राडमको एमस्टलभिनस्थित भीआरए क्रिकेट मैदानले बुधबार नेपाललाई एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय खेल्ने २३ औँ राष्ट्र बनाउनेछ। आईसीसी ११, एसिया ११, अफ्रिका ११ र इस्ट अफ्रिका गरी कुल २६ टोलीले यसअघि एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय खेलिसकेका छन्। नेपाल २७ औं टोली बन्नेछ।

थप कान्तिपुरमा पढ्नुहाेस् ।

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First-ever ODI match for Nepal today

There are only a handful of cricket matches in history where the start of the match is more important and significant that the result of the match; even fewer matches when both teams are looking forward to the start more than the results.

The Netherlands vs Nepal on August 1, 2018, at the VRA Ground in Armsterdam will go down in the history as one such match.

It’s first ever One Day International (ODI) match for Nepal – and it also marks the return of the Netherlands, who already have played 79 ODIs, to the ODI after four years.

For Nepal, it’s a dream come true – albeit a bit late for older fans as the country’s cricket held that promises for longer than it should have. It nevertheless came after 22 years of entry into international cricket and hopefully become a stepping stone for the Test status and a World Cup victory someday – sooner or later.

Paras Khadka, the captain, is surely the most emotional and happiest one as when he will retire, he will retire as the captain who led Nepal in first T20I (and the T20 World Cup) as well as the first ODI.

“This is just a beginning,” Paras tweeted on the eve of the match. “As we embark on a new cricketing journey from tomorrow, on behalf of the Whole team would like to thank all the past and present cricket players, coaches, officials, administrators and everyone who have so far been involved with Nepal Cricket.”

Kantipur TV reportedly paid NRs. 45 lakh (approx. USD 40,000) for the rights to broadcast a KNCB produced video live. This and expected fans at the ground meant the KNCB are hoping to at least break even, maybe even pocket a little bit of money, by hosting the matches, a rarity for an Associate series, according to Cricinfo.

The hosts are favorite, given their history and ranking, however, Nepal is a fighting spirit and the Rhinos are known for not giving up easily.

“We have a fantastic team spirit – that has definitely been a big plus point for us. We fight for every run and every wicket. All of us have been very honest and hard-working and maybe someone out there is looking after us,” Paras wrote for the ICC website.

In a 50-over-match played at the same ground in 2018, Nepal beat the Netherlands by 19 runs – one among only two defeats that the Netherlands suffered in the World Cricket League Championship, the tournament that they won. However, they have an upper hand in 50-over matches having won three among five played.

“The last 50-over game we played here, we beat them,” Paras told Cricinfo. “Fond memories, but it’s part of history. Coming to Netherlands, we’ve always liked it here. It’s good playing conditions.”

All 11 Nepali cricketers who will be named for the match will make an ODI debut. Senior cricketers, the likes of Paras, Gyanendra Malla, Shakti Gauchan, and Basanta Regmi some of whom have been playing for Nepal nearly two decades, will make debut along with much younger cricketers such as 17-year-old global icon of Nepali cricket, Sandeep Lamichhane. Sandeep has been named as one of “the 50 Young Players of the World” by the renowned Wisden monthly magazine in its August issue.

The match is expected to grip Nepali cricket fans worldwide. Kantipur TV’s broadcast will be watched by millions, whereas a lot others will follow the match and hundreds of them will reach the VRA Ground to support Nepali team. The Nepali supporters are known as the 16th player and captain Paras reflected so: “We also have an amazing fan following wherever we go. Nepalese people who have settled in other parts of the world come out in big numbers to support us – we are very blessed. They really boost us up.”

It’s the match that both team wants to win, will fight hard for the victory, but at the end both team will come out of the ground victorious in one or other way!

Teams

Nepal: Paras Khadka (c), Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Airee, Lalit Bhandari, Shakti Gauchan, Karan KC, Subash Khakurel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Gyanendra Malla, Rohit Kumar, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Anil Sah, Sompal Kami, Sharad Vesawkar

The Netherlands: Pieter Seelaar (c), Wesley Barresi, Ben Cooper, Bas de Leede, Scott Edwards, Fred Klaasen, Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Hidde Overdijk, Michael Rippon, Shane Snater, Daniel ter Braak, Paul van Meekeren

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नेपालले खेल्ने ऐतिहासिक एकदिवसीय क्रिकेटको बारेमा थाहा पाउनुस् सम्पूर्ण जानकारी (पहिलाेपाेस्ट)

अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय क्रिकेट खेल्न सुरु गरेको २२ वर्षपछि नेपालले पहिलो पटक आइसीसीको मान्यता प्राप्त एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय क्रिकेट खेल खेल्दैछ।

नेपालको लागि धेरै अर्थमा यो ऐतिहासिक हुनेछ। गत मार्चमा जिम्बावेमा भएको एकदिवसीय विश्वकपमा एसोसिएटतर्फ उत्कृष्ट तीनभित्र पर्दै नेपालले आगामी चार वर्षको लागि एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय राष्ट्रको मान्यता पाएको हो।

त्यसको साढे दुई महिनापछि नेपालले युरोपियन राष्ट्र नेदरल्याण्ड्ससँग दुई खेलको एकदिवसीय अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय श्रृंखला खेल्ने अवसर पाएको हो। अब नेपाल त्यसको नजिकै पुगेको छ।

थप पहिलाेपाेस्टमा ।

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ODIs with the Netherlands only the beginning: Paras Khadka

This has been such a long, amazing journey for Nepal cricket but playing our first ever One-Day Internationals against the Netherlands is only the beginning.

We have always wanted to get to this point but the challenge is to keep on growing. Eight years ago we were playing in ICC World Cricket League Division Five and now we are among the top 16 nations in the world, with ODI status guaranteed for the next four years.

I hope we can keep this going and continue to grow because our next goal is to become a Test-playing country. We have worked hard for ODI status and the games against the Netherlands are opportunities for us to explore ourselves, enjoy the experience and hopefully put up good performances.

It is amazing to think back to how far we have come. Speaking personally, I started playing the game very young at school in Kathmandu. I played all the time – football in the rainy season and cricket the rest of the time.

I didn’t have particular cricket heroes but I did love watching the great Australian teams of a few years back.

I never dreamed at that stage that I could play for my country but destiny had other things in mind! It was only when I was selected at under-15 level that things started to change.

Then we played at the ICC Under-19 World Cup – beating South Africa twice, New Zealand and Zimbabwe – and have played against some of the best players around from the other nations.

One of the happiest days since then was the day – 27 November 2013 – when we beat Hong Kong off the last ball to qualify for the 2014 ICC World T20 in Bangladesh.

I remember feeling very nervous. You have dreamed all these years and then it’s there in front of you. Three and a half hours away. You can make the biggest step in your cricket careers. It did take a lot out of us. We played some of our best cricket during those three matches at the ICC World T20, against Hong Kong again, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Then this year qualifying from ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Namibia and making it to the ICC World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe was another special moment. Those are the high points. This year has been so important for my generation of cricketers because we have worked so hard to get to this point.

We have a fantastic team spirit – that has definitely been a big plus point for us. We fight for every run and every wicket. All of us have been very honest and hard-working and maybe someone out there is looking after us!

We also have an amazing fan following wherever we go. Nepalese people who have settled in other parts of the world come out in big numbers to support us – we are very blessed. They really boost us up.

We really noticed that support when we played at Lord’s for the first time in 2016. I woke up the next morning and thought to myself, ‘Did we actually just play at Lord’s?’ To be in a dressing room where every great in the game has been was an amazing experience. We were so glad we could repeat it again this week in a T20 tri-series with MCC and Netherlands.

We are already looking ahead to the qualifying stages for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. This is a wonderful opportunity. The government in Nepal are looking to help us grow and hopefully, we will have a fully functioning cricket board soon as well. If we can get all the resources together then hopefully we will have good days ahead for Nepal cricket.

I’ve been playing for 15 years and I never thought I’d get this far. But there will come a time when it is enough – it might be in six months or six years. But for now, I want to contribute as much as possible and keep pushing myself. It all comes down to setting standards and taking it from there.

As captain, it has been a fabulous journey and I hope it will continue. The most important thing is to keep performing and to help the team grow.

© ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC 2018. Republished with permission.

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Nepal’s return to T20I dampened by rain at Lord’s

Nepal’s returned to T20 international after three years was dampened by the rain as the match against the Netherlands was abandoned at the Lord’s Cricket Ground after 16.4 overs.

The Netherlands scored 174/4 in 16.4 overs in the damp conditions utilizing a short boundary and inability of Nepali spinners to grip the ball. The match was called off as the rain continued.

Nepal won the toss and invited the Netherlands to bat first – probably in view of the revised total if the match was to be disrupted.

Basanta Regmi, bowling the second over, bowled Tobias Visee for 11. It was a good start given that Visee has scored 58 not out in 6-over-a-side match against MCC earlier on the day. An over later Karan KC claimed another opener Max O’Dowd (5), whose leg side flick was well taken by Aarif Sheikh to make it 24/2.

The Dutch batsmen then cut loose on Nepali bowlers as they lost grips due to dampened conditions. Wesley Barresi was ruthless on Nepali bowlers as he went on to hit 44 off 24 balls with 6 fours and a six. He was bowled by Sompal Kami on 9th over, but by the time, the Dutch were cruising well at 79/3.

Ryan ten Doeschate, making his return to T20I after 2010, who was playing a quiet supporter to Barresi then got some shots to make it 112/3 in 12 overs when the match was disrupted for 15 minutes by the rain.

The match resumed after 15 minutes with two overs cut from each innings, ten Doeschate lost his rhythm and was run out by the agility of Dipendra Singh Airee.

His departure brought in Scott Edwards, who was on mood of hitting from the first ball, and with Michael Rippon put on a brilliant show before the rain disruption. Edwards made 34 not out off just 14 balls while Rippon was on 38 not out off 22 balls. Both his 3 fours and 2 sixes.

It was a forgetful T20I debut for the national team for wonderkid Sandeep Lamichhane as he struggled with the ball and gave away 43 runs in his 4 overs without taking a wicket. His only rejoice was that ten Doeschate was run out in his over. Sompal, Basanta, Karan and Paras all went for above 10 runs an over while Lalit Rajbanshi went for 25 runs in 3 overs.

Nepal will now head for the Netherlands for two ODIs on August 1 and 3.

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Nepal beats MCC by 9 wickets

Nepal beat the MCC team by 9 wickets in a rain-reduced 6-over-a-side T20 match at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in England.

MCC scored 40 for 4 in 6 overs – after the rain washed out the morning of the day scheduled with three T20s. Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardena, who was captaining MCC, scored 24 not out off 16 balls with 4 fours. No other batsmen stayed long enough to score in two-digit.

Pacer Sompal Kami was the pick of the bowlers for Nepal as he picked 2 wickets for 8 runs in 2 wickets. Veteran left-arm orthodox Shakti Gauchan bowled well to claim a wicket off his one over. Gyanendra Malla fielded brilliantly to run out Jonathan Trott.

In reply, Nepal opened with Subhash Khakurel and Anil Sah. They added 18 before Sah (9) was out. Gyanendra (12 not out of 4 balls) and Subhash (16 not out off 15 balls) took Nepal to the victory with 8 balls remaining.

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Brief scores: MCC 40 for 4 in 6 overs (M Jayawardena 24*, Sompal 2/8, Shakti 1/6) lost to Nepal 41 for 1 in 4.4 overs (Subash 16*, Gyanendra 12*, Anil 9, Douthwaite 1/7) by 9 wickets.

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MCC announces partnership to support cricket in Nepal

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the world’s most active cricket club, the owner of Lord’s Ground and the guardian of the Laws of the game establihed in 1787, has announced its intention to introduce into its overseas touring programme a series of Legacy Tours, aimed at leaving a sustainable and meaningful impact in developing cricket nations.

The first country that MCC will visit as part of the new initiative is Nepal.

Nepal has been chosen with input from the International Cricket Council in acknowledgement of the exciting point at which Nepali cricket is poised, with the national team recently granted One-Day International status and interest in the game growing throughout the country.

MCC last toured Nepal in 2015 soon after the devastating earthquake which destroyed homes and amenities, including cricket facilities. The country has huge playing potential but limited infrastructure, which the Club will seek to address with the help of its charitable arm, the MCC Foundation. The Foundation will be raising funds and exploring ways in which to ensure that the benefits of the Club’s visits have a lasting impact.

John Stephenson, MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket) said: “I am delighted to be able to announce that MCC’s first legacy tour will be to Nepal.

“The Nepal national team are at Lord’s today for a T20 triangular tournament against MCC and the Netherlands, and their match against the Netherlands has been designated an official International T20. This is the ideal time to harness the growing support for cricket in Nepal.”

Abi Carter, Director of the MCC Foundation, said: “There is potential to make a great impact on and off the pitch in Nepal, and the Foundation would like to encourage the MCC membership and beyond to work with us to bring all the benefits of cricket to Nepali people. All our programmes will be aimed at leaving a sustainable legacy, to ensure the benefits are felt long after MCC’s legacy tour has been completed.”

Paras Khadka, captain of the Nepal Cricket Team, said: “There is so much passion for cricket in Nepal, and with the growth of the national team over the past few years, now is the time to connect that passion and put a structure and development path in place for the next generation of young Nepalese players.

“I am delighted that MCC has chosen Nepal as the first destination for its Legacy Tours and I hope that this will help create a sustainable approach to cricket in the country.”

The legacy tour initiative builds on MCC’s successful philanthropic involvement in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and will be a first step for the MCC Foundation in its mission to expand overseas and become a world-class cricket charity, as well making an impact close to home in Westminster, at a national level with its network of Hubs which provide free cricket to secondary state school young people.

The MCC Foundation is the charitable arm of MCC. Locally, MCC runs community programmes ranging from delivering cricket coaching in schools to providing skills-training for ex-offenders looking to reintegrate into society.

Nationally, the MCC Foundation operates 51 Cricket Hubs which provide high-quality free coaching to 2,000 children at state secondary schools, and internationally the Foundation has supported projects in Rwanda, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka.

Donations may be made via the Foundation’s Twitter page (@_MCCFoundation) or at various collection points in-ground.

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Nepal set to return to T20I at Lords

Nepal will play Netherlands on July 29 at the Lords’ Cricket Ground in the T20 International – which will marks Nepal’s return to T20I after four years.

Nepal will face MCC and Netherlands in a T20 Triangular Tournament at Lord’s – and the match between Nepal and Netherlands given the full T20I status.

MCC will be captained by Mahela Jayawardene, while former England International Jonathan Trott will also feature.

Schedule
3.45pm – 6.30pm: MCC v Netherlands
6.50pm – 9.35pm: MCC v Nepal
10.05pm – 1.15am Netherlands v Nepal

Squads

Nepal: Paras Khadka (c), Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Bhandari, Shakti Gauchan, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Subash Khakurel (w/k), Sandeep Lamichhane, Gyanendra Malla, Rohit Paudel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Anil Sah, Aarif Sheikh, Sharad Vesawkar

MCC: Mahela Jayawardene (c), Kashif Ali, Dylan Budge, Varun Chopra, Matt Coles, Dan Douthwaite, Alasdair Evans, James Foster (w/k), Peter (PJ) Moor (w/k), Tom Smith, Jonathan Trott, Mark Watt

Netherlands: Pieter Seelaar (c), Wesley Barresi, Scott Edwards, Clayton Floyd, Frederick Klaassen, Bas De Leede, Paul van Meekeren, Max O’Dowd, Hidde Overdijk, Michael Rippon, Shane Snater, Tonny Staa, Ryan ten Doeschate, Tobias Visee

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Nepal to play ACC Asia Cup 2018 Qualifiers

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the schedule for the ACC Asia Cup 2018 Qualifiers to be held in Malaysia from August 29 to September 6.

Nepal will compete to UAE, Oman, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia for the prized spot in the Asia Cup 2018. The winner of the Qualifiers will join defending champions India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia Cup. Group B is made up of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The top two teams from each of the groups will progress to the Super Four section, from where the top two teams will then play each other in the final. The 14th edition of the Asia Cup is being held in the UAE for the third time, after the 1984 and 1995 tournaments.

The Asia Cup is reverting to a one-day international tournament after being held as a Twenty20 event in 2016. The Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on September 15-28.

Nepal’s matches with UAE – the ground stage match on Kinrara Oval on August 30 and if the two nations reach the final – will be ODI.

Nepal’s schedule
August 29: vs Oman at Bayuemas Oval
August 30: vs UAE at Kinrara Oval (ODI)
August 31: rest day
September 1: vs Malaysia at Bayuemas Oval
September 2: vs Singapore at UKM Oval
September 3: rest day
September 4: vs Hong Kong at UKM Oval
September 5: rest day
September 6: FINAL

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Nepal added to expanded ICC ODI team rankings

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has added four ODI nations, including Nepal, to the expanded MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings with effect from June 1, 2018.

Nepal, Scotland, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined the 12 leading ODI nations on the rankings; however, Nepal and the Netherlands will need to play four more matches to be featured in the rank. The Netherlands have 13 rating points and Nepal have 0 ratings point currently.

The initial rankings for the four new teams are based on: all ODIs played since May 2015 by Scotland and the UAE against Full Members and against each other; Non-ODIs played by the Netherlands and Nepal against Full Members, Scotland and the UAE as part of the ICC World Cup Qualifying tournament 2018.

This elevation means all ODIs these four sides will play against other sides on the table henceforth will count towards a team’s rating points and performance in the rankings table.

The Netherlands secured ODI status and a place in the 13-team ODI league by winning the ICC World Cricket League Championship last year, while Scotland, Nepal and the UAE earned ODI status by finishing as the three leading Associates (along with the Dutch) in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018.

Scotland have been ranked in 13th place on 28 points – 10 points behind 12th ranked Ireland – while the UAE are another 10 points behind on 18 in 14th position.

Teams earn points from each match they play against oppositions with an ODI rating. Points and matches played between 1 May 2015 and 30 April 2017 will be weighted at 50 per cent, whereas matches played after 1 May 2017 will be weighted at 100 per cent.

The positions of the 12 Test playing countries, who were already on the table, are not affected by the introduction of these new teams on the table.

The table is headed by England, who will host next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup. India are ranked second, three points behind England, while ICC Champions Trophy winners Pakistan are in sixth place.

South Africa, New Zealand and Australia are ranked third, fourth and fifth. Bangladesh is ranked seventh, ahead of Sri Lanka, which is ranked eighth. West Indies and Afghanistan are also in top 10 followed by Zimbabwe and Ireland.

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