The ICC Cricket Academy team in Dubai arrived here on Friday to play a friendly series with National Cricket Academy (NCA).
The series will begin at the Tribhuvan University ground from Saturday. The two teams are scheduled to play 10 matches, five each between the U-13 and U- 18 teams. Of those matches, four will be Twenty20 and one 40-over games in both age-group categories, informed the former national team skipper and NCA coach Binod Das.
“Apart from the NCA product, we have also called on three players from Dhangadi Cricket Academy in both the age- group categories,” said Das. Sarthak Kant Sedhain will lead the U-13 Nepali team while Pradeep Tandan has been appointed as captain of the U-18 team.
The head coach of ICC Cricket Academy Mudassar Nazar said the objective of the series was to develop cricket from the grassroot level. “We travel to provide our young boys exposure so that they adapt themselves in different playing conditions,” Nazar, who had played 76 Tests for Pakistan, said.
Nazar also informed that Nepali team has become popular in Dubai recently and that was one of the reasons why he chose Nepal for the series. “Among the other reasons to play here was the growth of the game here lately,” added Nazar. The ICC Academy had toured Kenya last year.
“We are here also to promote cricket,” Nazar, who also coached Kenya in the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand in January, said. “We hope this will turn out as an annual programme.” He also added that he would be pleased to have youngsters in the in the ICC Cricket Academy. “We have world class facilities and the boys would definitely learn better skills there,” added the coach. The series will ends on April 10.
NCA U-13 squad: Sarthak Kant Sedhain (Captain) , Subodh Air (Vice Captain) , Rit Gautam , Sachin Sharma , Sanjay Shrestha , Basant Thapa , Riwaj Khatiwada , Bishal Karki, Sagar Shrestha, Samrat Bhusal, Ankit Shrestha , Yash Chitrakar, Raunak Dhungana , Nayan Ale Magar, Bigyan Gautam, Sandip Shrestha , Pratish GC, Bhabishya Pokhrel, Saswat Paudel, Paras Dahal, Mohammad Samir, Sashwat Singh, Paras Air
24.11°C Kathmandu
