Nepal's pre-World Cup training portends promising results

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 12: After a 3-2 series loss against the West Indies ‘A’ on May 4, Nepal’s senior squad left for the USA to take part in different training sessions before the T20 World Cup in June.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) had earlier informed that the senior squad would participate in different trainings before the biggest T20 tournament. However, the training schedules and fixtures were not revealed.

Nevertheless, the CAN, on Friday afternoon, revealed Nepal’s training and match schedules in the American continents before the World Cup’s official warm-up matches. The revelation has shown that Nepal might get better prepared before the country’s second participation in a World Cup.

The year 2024 has been beneficial to Nepali cricket as the men’s squad has been playing enough matches at home and abroad, especially to prepare for the World Cup.

The face-off against West Indies ‘A’ in a five-match T20 series was the final preparation for the team at home. Nepali fans had doubted that Nepal might get a better chance to improve than the series against the second-tier team of the two-time T20 World Cup champions. However, it seems that Nepal’s squad have enough training to help develop their technicalities and skills before facing top teams like South Africa, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the group stage.

According to the CAN, Nepal’s squad trained for four days (8-11 May) at Florida Acclimatization Camp. The squad, on May 12, is travelling to St. Vincent. Nepal is playing two group matches against South Africa and Bangladesh at Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown, St. Vincent. Nepal’s squad will stay and train at St. Vincent up to May 18. During their stay, Nepal will face mixed teams of St. Vincent and Windward Islands on May 14, 16 and 18.

According to the CAN, Nepal will then leave St. Vincent on May 19 and will touchdown at Houston, USA, on May 20. Nepal is scheduled to be allowed to practice on the Houston Centre Wicket at PV Ground on May 21 and 24.

Likewise, Nepal will play practice matches against Houston Hurricane on May 22 and 23. It will be Nepal’s last practice as the International Cricket Council (ICC) will start its official warm-up matches. The CAN has expected the squad to develop their skills further through the month-long training focused on the World Cup.

Warm-up matches

It is the second time that Nepal is playing in a T20 World Cup. While Nepal was denied a warm-up match against a full member in 2014, it is expected to repeat this year as well.

Nepal, in the 2014 T20 World Cup, played against Ireland and the UAE in the warm-up matches. Ireland was not a full member then. Meanwhile, the ICC has not yet released a fixture for the warm-up matches starting on May 25.

The World Cup will officially start on June 2 as the two co-hosts, the USA and West Indies, face Canada and PNG respectively.