Kathmandu, June 11

A three-member selection panel today called up 40 players for the preliminary camp for the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier for Asian Region to be held in Singapore from July 16-26.

As per the press statement sent by Nepali cricket team’s technical analyst Raman Shiwakoti, the selection committee — headed by ICC-Asia’s Chief Development Officer Venkatapathi Raju, Nepali national cricket team head coach Jagat Tamatta and U-19 team coach Binod Das — picked the players based on last year’s talent hunt and various domestic tournaments.

The preliminary squad comprises of Sandeep Lamichhane, Aasif Sheikh, Aadil Khan, Anil Kumar Shah, Bhim Sharki, Prakash KC, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kamal Singh Airee, Pawan Sharraf, Sandeep Sunar, Nandan Yadav, Rohit Kumar

Paudel, Rabindra Jung Shahi, Abhinash Karn, Bikram Kumar Bhusal, Shahab Alam, Sushant Singh Thapa, Kishore Mahato, and Pranit Thapa Magar.

The team also includes Sumit Maharjan, Sandeep Jora, Jitendra Singh Thakuri, Bipin Rawal, Aschal Tharu Chaudhary, Bijay Rana, Pradeep Tandon, Rashid Khan, Rijan Dhakal, Sagar Bhandari, Dhiraj Shahi, Mohammad Hussien, Divyanshu Mallik, Bijay Chaudhary, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Samsaad Sheikh, Ayub Chand, Firtosh Ansari, Anil Kharel, Dev Khanal and Lokesh Chand. The close camp training for the Qualifier will start from Monday at the Tribhuvan University Stadium.

A total of four teams — Nepal, Singapore, Afghanistan and Malaysia — will compete in the double-league tournament with the winners earning berth in the ICC U-19 World Cup to be held in New Zealand from January 13 to February 3 next year.