CAN selected the squad for the ACC Trophy with Kaniksha

 The Himalayan Times, Kathmandu, June 17:

Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) called former U-19 skipper Kanishka Chaugain in the 19-member preliminary squad for the upcoming ACC Trophy Elite 2008 to be held in Malaysia from July 23 to August 3. Opening batsman Chaugain has not played for his country since he left for higher studies in the United States in 2006. Chaugain, who is still in the US pursuing his study and playing for local club there, was called following a dismal batting performance in the recently concluded ICC World Cricket League Division-V Cricket Tournament in Jersey.

Among the other members picked up are Binod Das, Paras Khadka, Shakti Gauchan, Mehboob Alam, Raj Kumar Pradhan, Dipendra Chaudhary, Sanjam Regmi, Mahesh Chhetri, Dhirendra Chand, Basanta Regmi, Gyanendra Malla, Amrit Bhattarai, Manjit Shrestha, Yashwant Subedi, Raj Shrestha, Sharad Vesawkar, Paresh Lohani and Anil Mandal. The players will undergo closed camp training from Thursday.

Earlier, Nepal’s Sri Lankan coach Roy Luke Dias had hinted at calling Chaugain for the ACC Trophy after Nepal failed to advance to the Division-IV because of the poor batting performance in Jersey. However, no major changes occurred in the team as hinted by Dias and skipper Binod Das.

Meanwhile, the Asian Cricket Council published the schedules for the tournament. Without mentioning the groups, the ACC has divided the 10 teams into two pools with Nepal drawn against Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore and Hong Kong in one group. Other five - hosts Malaysia, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE - are in the other group.

Nepal will open their campaign with a match against Hong Kong on July 25 before playing Qatar the next day. Nepal will play Singapore on July 28 and end their league matches on July 30 following a match against Kuwait.

Dias hints at change in squad for ACC Trophy

The Himalayan Times, Kathmandu, June 2:National cricket coach Roy Luke Dias hinted some changes in the cricket team for the upcoming ACC Trophy to be held in Malaysia in July.

“I am very very disappointed at the team’s performance in Jersey and I feel sad that we could not make it to the final,” said Dias upon the team’s arrival today.

The Nepali team had gone to Jersey to take part in the ICC World Cricket League Division-V Cricket Tournament where they lost to Afghanistan in the semi-finals.

“We played well there, but one bad day and one bad game and we lost the crucial match,” said Dias, adding Nepal should be proud of one player - Mehboob Alam, who took all 10 wickets against Mozambique.

Alam’s feat is the first by any cricketer in the ICC-sanctioned tournaments. “That is an unique feat and nobody even thinks of such achievement,” he said.

Dias also said that he was thinking of changing some of the members in the squad for the ACC Trophy. “I will have to talk to the selectors and the President of the Cricket Association of Nepal for that, but there will be definitely some change in the team,” he added. Dias also hinted at calling in good players who have gone abroad for studies.

Skipper Binod Das was shocked with the loss to Afghanistan. “We really played well there. It was out best outing since the 2002 ACC Trophy where we reached the final,” said Dias. “Except for Afghanistan, we did not allow other teams to score above 100. But resultwise we have nothing at our hands,” said the skipper.

“This is a great setback for the Nepali cricket, but it is not over yet. Now we have to focus on the ACC Trophy and I think new players should get the opportunity as it takes time to build a good team,” he said. About Alam’s performance, Das said the feat was outstanding. “Being a bowler myself, I have not even thought of such achievement,” said Das.

The record making alrounder, Alam was disappointed at the team’s loss. “I go to every match with a hope of taking 4-5 wickets. The condition was favourable for swing and I got the wickets,” said Alam, who was adjudged the man of the series. “But my achievement went to vein after the the team’s loss,” he said.

Vice President of CAN Upendra Bhattarai received the team and officials.

additional news to it:

Our star allrounder Mahboob Alam is thinking about to go aboard, after making the perfect 10 in an inning, he has got lots of offer from USA, British County, UAE. And he told to “Naya Patrika” a national daily that he is prefering to go to US.

But we fans have to stop him to go afterall he is our national asset, now he is not his own only. He has lots of thing to give to his country and more than that he is our pride.

isn’t it? how do you think it?