Kathmandu, August 23

National Sports Council’s Cricket Coordination Committee picked up a 38-member preliminary squad for the ICC 2016 Women’s World Cup Qualifier (Asia) slated for October 9-15 at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Hong Kong.

Besides Nepal and hosts Hong Kong, China and Thailand will also take part in the event. A team finishing on top after round-robin matches will take a berth for the global qualification.

The committee selected Rubeena Chhetri, Santoshi Chaudhary, Sabnam Rai, Mamta Chaudhary, Rashmi Sharma, Kajol Shrestha, Kabita Gautam, Anisha Prajuli, Anuradha Chaudhary, Roma Thapa, Sangita Rai, Shobha Ale, Rachana Aryal, Sita Shrestha, Sarada Wagle, Ashmina Karmacharya, Roji Kadari, Arati Bidari, Rabina Bhandari, Indu Barma, Barsha Rana, Saraswati Pun, Laxmi Chaudhary, Nery Thapa, Mamta Thapa, Gita Gosain, Trishna Singh, Roshani Bohara, Kabita Joshi, Rekha Rawal, Karuna Bhandari, Ritu Kanaujiya, Sita Rana Magar, Sarita Magar, Sonu Khadka, Jyoti Pandey, Nira Rajopadhyay and Binu Budhathoki for the preliminary squad.

The committee had hosted a national game to select the players.

Meanwhile, Sailesh Karmacharya, coordinator of the committee, informed that International Cricket Council (ICC) could add 10 more players to the squad to make it 48 members.

The closed camp training will start within a week and the ICC will make all the decisions on that, informed Karmacharya. “A T20 match will be played by dividing the players into two groups to select 24 players for the closed camp training,” he added.

A 18-member final squad (14 regular and four reserved) will be announced after the closed camp training.