Kathmandu, June 19

A three-member selection panel today shortlisted 18 players for the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier for Asia Region to be held in Singapore from July 16-26.

As per the press statement issued by Nepali cricket team’s Technical Analyst Raman Shiwakoti, the selection committee — ICC-Asia Chief Development Officer Venkatapathi Raju, Nepal national team head coach Jagat Tamatta and U-19 coach Binod Das — picked up 18 members from among 40 cricketers who were called up in the training camp.

Sandeep Lamichhane, Anil Kumar Sah, Kishor Mahato, Sushant Singh Thapa, Bikram Kumar Bhusal, Prakash KC, Pawan Sarraf, Sundeep Jora, Rijan Dhakal, Pranit Thapa Magar, Shahab Alam, Rashid Khan, Aasif Sheikh, Sandeep Sunar, Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Aadil Khan and Dipendra Singh Airee were picked up for the second round of closed camp which is being conducted by Das.

The 14-member final squad and four reserves will be announced after a couple of days, the release added.

A total of four teams — Nepal, Singapore, Afghanistan and Malaysia — will compete in the double-league tournament in Singapore 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.