Oman national cricket team have announced their 14-man squad to compete in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Men’s Premier Cup to be held in Nepal. Ten associate nations will fight in the tournament, with the winner securing a spot in the Asia Cup 2023.
Zeeshan Maqsood will lead the national team, and Aqib Ilyas has been named the vice-captain of the squad after coming back from the injury. Oman has never made it to the Asia Cup; therefore, the competition offers them yet another chance to create history.
Zeeshan Maqsood’s side has a brilliant record in Nepal, as they were victorious in all four matches during the Tri-Series under CWC League 2 in February 2020. The duo of Captain and Vice Captain were sensational in helping Oman defeat the home team on both occasions.
Oman, placed in Group ‘A’ with Nepal, Qatar, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia will kickoff the tournament on 19th April against Qatar at Mulpani Cricket Ground. They will face Nepal at TU Cricket Ground on 21 April.
Similarly, Tournament’s Group ‘B’ consists United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore, and Bahrain.
The much-awaited series will commence on April 18, with Nepal taking on Malaysia at TU Cricket Ground. The semifinals of the Premier Cup will be played on April 28, with the final scheduled for May 1. In case of any unforeseen circumstances, the reserve day is set for May 2.
The winning team of the tournament will join India and Pakistan in Group A of the Asia Cup 2023, which will take place in September. Furthermore, the top three teams of the Premier Cup will also get the opportunity to feature in the ACC Emerging Cup in July.
Oman Squad: Zeeshan Maqsood (captain), Aaqib Ilyas (vice-captain), Jay Odedera, Kaleemullah, Shoaib Khan, Kashyapkumar Prajapati, Adeel Shafique (wicket-keeper), Jatinder Singh, Mohammad Nadeem, Sandeep Goud, Bilal Khan, Ayaan Khan, Naseem Khushi (wicket-keeper), Fayyaz Butt.
Coaching staff: Duleep Mendis (chief coach), Madhu Jesrani (manager), Mazhar Khan (coach co-ordinator), Evert Laubscher (assistant coach), Avishkar Salvi (bowling coach), Zeeshan Siddiqui (analyst), Sean Nowak (physio).
Feature Image – Oman Cricket
