Nepali Cricket Team that participated in the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 Cricket will arrive home Today 8th May at 9 am morning via Indian Airways with the Division 3 Trophy. Nepal won 6 countries’ One Day Tournament held in Bermuda from 26th April to 6th May defeating Uganda in the finals. Chief Secretary of CAN Ashok Nath Pyakurel informed the media about the team’s return through a press release.
Though CAN hasn’t said anything sources state Nepali team’s Coach Pudubu Dassanayeke flew directly to his family in Canada after the Division 3 and will return later.
Nepal flew to Bermuda on 24th April directly from India, where they competed with Indian Clubs as pre-tournament preparation. The 14 member squad consisted of skipper Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla, Sharad Veswarkar, Shubash Khakurel, Anil Mandal, Binod Bhandari, Pradeep Airee, captain of U-19 Squad that played 2012 U-19 World Cup Prithu Baskota, Chandra Sawad, Amrit Bhattarai, Basanta Regmi, Sanjam Regmi, Shakti Gauchan and Rahul Viswakarma.
Nepal faced initial defeats in the tournament losing to USA and Uganda in the first two matches. The losses had left Nepal’s World Cup Dream in jeopardy-at that moment promotion to the World Cup qualifiers seemed very unlikely. However the team fought back with impressive wins over Bermuda, Oman and Italy and with luck on their side as Bermuda defeated USA Nepal made it to the finals of the tournament and to the World Cup Qualifier.
This is the third Cricket Tournament in a row in less than 9 months for Nepal. Of the four International Tournaments played in last 9 months Nepal has won 3 of them (Division 4, ACC Elite Cup and now Division 3) and played the final of the other(ACC T20 Cup).
The team will be received by hundreds (if not thousands) of Nepali Cricket lovers tomorrow at the Tribhuwan International Airport.
