Upbeat with the victory in the World Cricket League Division 5, Nepal begin the ACC Trophy Elite 2010 cricket tournament playing defending champions Hong Kong at Unity, Kuwait on Wednesday.
Mount Everest Sporting Club General Secretary Dharma Raj Giri wecloming Nepal team captain Paras Khadka at the Kuwait Airport. Photo by NepalKuwait.com
Another factor to boost Nepal’s morale for the opening match is that Nepal had beaten Hong Kong in last two meetings. In 2008, before winning the title, Hong Kong lost to Nepal in the league match – a repetition of the result two years earlier.
“They are a good side and are in better tandem than us, but we are taking it positively as we have beaten them in last two meetings,” captain Paras Khadka said before two hours practice on Tuesday.
In five meetings in one-dayers, Hong Kong has upper-hand with three wins – one each in the ACC Trophy of 1996, 1998 (league) and 2000 (semifinal).
Kuwait’s pitches are known to be favorable to batsmen and it would be up to Nepali batting lineup, missing vice-captain Gyanendra Malla who was denied visa for unknown reason, to come good.
“We believe 240 is a defendable total and we can chase around 220,” Paras, who scored 81 against Hong Kong in 2008, said.
Nepal’s performance in the ACC Trophy is not glorious one. Although Nepal had made to a final and two semifinals in last four editions, it had never lifted the trophy. Bangladesh won it twice before becoming a Test nation and UAE completed a hat-trick before handing it to Hong Kong.
“We got to do well,” Paras added. “We will carry on the confidence of Div 5 and start from scratch in a new event to prove ourselves.”
Hong Kong has retained seven players from 2008 squad and will be looking to forget the performance of 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup where they finished tenth among 12 nations. Nepal finished fifth.
Hong Kong’s stand-in coach Tabarak Dar believed that the Twenty20 result has not significance and that they could defend the title. “We are the current ACC defending champions and we will try our best to defend our title,” he told media.
They will be looking at captain Najeeb Amar and young all-rounder Irfan Ahmed for the match-winning performance. Prior to the event, Hong Kong played a friendly match against China and beat them by 179 runs after scoring 258.
For Nepal, captain Paras will be the key along with young left-arm spinner Rahul Kumar BK, the man of the final in the Div 5.
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Good luck!!!
best of luck win is only option for u guys……
I am pretty confident about our place in the semis… but, again we have to cross the bar by beating either (most probably) Afghanistan or UAE to make it through to the final…
good luck guys!
keep rocking…
All the best guys…
I agree with “sa” above.
i hope nepal will lift this trophy…..guys concentrate on ur game and play for nation, for progess,,,,take an example of afganistan and do well…all the best…jay nepal….
after reading the article i came to know that gyanendra malla dint get visa for an unknown reason,,,,,,omg!!!!! wat is happening to nepali players…they must hav given some or at least one reason to deny visa and now it comes to proved that kuwait is not respecting nepali national players…..damn kuwait,,,,nepal will win this trophy….calm gyanendra they never progress in this way….go nepal go..this trophy is wants to come nepal//all d best….
Triumph iz coming our way but if some nation denies visa for our vice-captain then why can’t we deny that tournament? It’s complicated question regarding our nation’s pride.
Good luck Nepal. I wish you guys a final spot in the ACC trophy elite 2010. The first match would be a must-win match for the Nepali team to get on the track of winning. I support Nepal secondly after Afghanistan. Good luck again.
all the best Nepal!!!
Hi to all Nepal fans,
Ball by Ball Commentary on today’s match (Nepal vs Hong Kong ) will be available on
http://www.asiancricket.org and http://www.cricketkuwait.com.At least thats what displayed in the ACC site.Hope to witness a cracking match.All the best & good luck Nepal.Jai Nepal.
I think Nepal is one of the strongest site in ACC level.
Today’s match is very crucial for Nepal to lift up the trophy
All the best Nepal!!!
there is really dissapointing after ganu didnt get visa
All the best Nepal
Best of Luck Nepal..
You will surely come Home with the trophy.
Regarding Gyanendra Malla it is heard that due to spelling mistake in his documents he could not get a visa. If it is so than what was CAN doing ??? Laying eggs..And how was the traveling to other countries before with the same documents ?? ridiculous !!!
Such issues could have been easily solved or could be solved now too so that Gyanendra could play the remaining games… Wake up Nepal’s administrations.
Gyanendra is a class act and a match winner…
com’on CAN wake up
Nepal did really good last month
Despite of gyanu nepalese players ve shown der ability and team spirit with a thumpin victory over hk. We ve 2 keep da momemtum n lift da trouphy bst of lck nepal. Nepal 4 life
Comeon nepal, win the trophy for our vice-captain, gyanendra malla..