KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 10
Nepal national cricket team member Sharad Vesawkar said all the players knew their roles in the team and each member needed to contribute as per the requirement of the team in its bid to qualify for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
Vesawkar, the key member of the team that qualified for the maiden World Cup in 2014, said the current squad was balanced and comparatively better than the previous one. "The team is balanced and we have been performing well off late," said Vesawkar before leaving for Oman to participate in the Global Qualifiers for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup to be held later this year in Australia. "And the team preparation was also satisfactory."
Asked about his role as a finisher like in the previous outing when Nepal made it to the World Cup, Vesawkar said all the players were focused on contributing to the team rather than thinking about the individual performance. "It's not about individual brilliance or becoming a hero. Each team member knows his role very well and we are committed to making contributions from our side as per the requirement of the team in a given circumstance," he said.
"As far as the senior players are concerned, we have got a vast experience of making it to the World Cup apart from participating in other four-five qualifiers. The senior players, especially Gyanendra Malla and I have been sharing those experiences with other team members. It will help them in understanding the match scenario and make the most out of it to contribute to the team," said Vesawkar. "The ultimate aim is to help the team win."
Vesawkar was confident of qualifying for the World Cup for the second time. "It's all about a couple of matches and we just need to give our best. If we play to our potential, we can reach the World Cup and most importantly the team members have confidence of getting through the qualifiers," he added.
Vesawkar is making a comeback in the national team but he would like to call it another event. "I have taken it as another match and have not thought about a comeback. I have always given my 100 per cent whenever required and I am confident of doing the same this time around," he said. "I am ready to contribute as per the requirement of the team and I am confident with my role as a finisher. I know how to handle pressure situations and I am going into the tournament with the same spirit that I had in 2013 when we qualified for the World Cup," he added.
Vesawkar said the team was far better than the previous one. "The players are young and there are hitters in the team. We were strong in bowling in 2013, while we are strong and consistent in batting as well this time around."
Nepal will take part in a quadrangular T20 series in Muscat before competing in the Global Qualifiers slated for February 18-22.Oman, United Arab Emirates and Ireland are the other teams in the quadrangular T20 series.
In the Global Qualifiers, Nepal are drawn in Group A along with Canada, Oman and the Philippines, while Bahrain, Germany, Ireland and UAE are in Group B. Top two teams each from both groups will make it to semis, while the two finalists will earn tickets to Australia for World Cup. Nepal will begin the campaign with a match against hosts Oman on February 18 before taking on the Philippines the next day.
Nepal will then face Canada in the third and final match of the league round on February 21.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 11, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
