Nepal cricket team leaves for UAE; to play four practice matches ahead of T20 World Cup

Nepal National Cricket Team in their new jersey(File Photo)

Nepal national cricket team left for the United Arab Emirates today to play two official practice matches arranged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as the preparation for the World T20 championship.

Nepal will play two practice matches against the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands during its week-long stay in Dubai before leaving for Bangladesh on March 9, 2014. The team will then play two more practice matches against Ireland on March 14 and the UAE on March 15 before kicking off its World T20 campaign against Hong Kong on March 16.

Purushottam Paudel, the minister for Youth and Sports department, along with officials from National Sports Council and Cricket Association of Nepal bade farewell to the national cricket team and wished them luck in the World T20.

National team skipper Paras Khadka said that he is hopeful of his team reaching the second round and proving Nepal is capable of playing in the top level of the game, while Coach Pubudu Dassanayake believes that they will not be under pressure as they are the underdogs. He also added that T20 game can be anybody´s game and they are not afraid of taking on any team.