Nepal will face a tough challenge when the ICC World Cup Cricket League 2 starts on Wednesday. The first day will be a game between USA and Oman. With these two teams, Nepal will play 2-2 games in a week.
Oman is the top team in League 2. After this series, the team is completing its 3-year League 2 cycle. Oman leads with 40 points from 32 games. Scotland is 2th in 20 games, UAE 26 in 22 games, USA 18 in 20 games, Namibia 14 in 14 games, Nepal 12 in 12 games, and Papua New Guinea 2 in 20 games.
Oman looks like a champion. Even if not, the team is almost certain to be in the top three. The top three teams in League 2 will advance to the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June-July 2023. Along with the top three, the fourth and fifth-ranked teams in League 2 will retain one-day international recognition for the next four years.
This is also the goal of Nepal, says coach Pubudu Dasanayake. “I am not worried about one-day recognition because we can maintain it,” Dasanayake said. Where we end up in League 2 is the most important issue. “
Nepal has played the least number of games in League 2. Nepal’s schedule has been most affected as the league schedule has become chaotic due to the global covid-19 infection. Nepal still has 24 games to play in League 2 and the chances of Nepal playing all the games till February are very low. In this way, the International Cricket Council (ICC) can determine the place of League 2 based on the victory percentage.
Nepal has won 6 out of 12 games. Nepal’s victory is 50 percent. “We have a 50 percent victory before we play this League 2 series. We want to improve on that, “said Dasanayake.” Now we have to play our best game. If we play our best game, we will definitely win all four of our games in the United States. “
Nepal will visit Scotland next month immediately after this. “We will be in the top three. This and the next series in Scotland are very important to us. ” Last Series in Oman. After this Tri-Series, after positive results, we will move up to the fourth or fifth place. It is important to maintain this,” said Dasanayake. “
Nepal has lost 3 out of 4 matches against Oman in League 2 and won one. When Nepal played its first League 2 series in 2020, it lost to Oman at home. Nepal lost its first match to the home team on a tour of Oman last September. But Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane’s 4-4 wickets and Gyanendra Malla’s half-century helped Nepal beat Oman by 7 wickets in the second match.
In the last 4 games of Nepal in League 2 against the USA, the result is just the opposite. Two years ago, Nepal had won both the games against the United States at home. In the second match, Nepal bowled out to the USA for 35 runs. The United States was forced to face the record of the lowest score in ODIs against Nepali spinners. Sandeep Lamichhane took 6 wickets and Susan Bhari took 4 wickets.
The United States had just played a series against the UAE and Scotland three days earlier. The United States won 1–1 against Scotland and the UAE. The United States, who scored 310 in the first game against Scotland, were all out for 189 in the other two games against Scotland and 198 against the UAE.
The United States played its first one-day international at home after the series. The United States will play Nepal and Oman at the Mosa Cricket Stadium in Pearland. Nepal will play its first two games against Oman on Thursday and USA on Saturday. Mosa Cricket Stadium has a capacity of 2,500 spectators. As the match between Nepal and USA will be held on Saturday weekend, it is estimated that all the tickets for the game will be sold. As the US is playing at home, there will be a lot of pressure on Nepal. This is also Nepal’s first visit to the United States. Houston’s heat, humidity, wind, and different conditions on the wicket of a year ago, Nepal is becoming more and more familiar. Nepal played both training and practice games at the Prairie View Cricket Complex.
Nepal had practiced one day in Mosa on June 1. The United States was facing the UAE at Mosa’s main ground that day. Nepal’s coach Dasanayake was watching the match between USA and UAE for some time in Sokram. While Nepal was playing its second practice match against Houston Hurricanes in Prairie View, Dasanayake and the Nepali team were watching the match between USA and UAE online. Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so poorly.
‘America is doing well, they are familiar with this condition. But there is no big difference between any of the teams, we are also in good rhythm, ‘said Dasanayake, who is familiar with American cricket. During his tenure as US coach from 2016 to 2019, he has been known to visit Moses regularly. Success against the United States will mean a lot to Dasanayake.
