ACC U-19 Elite Cup 2013: Nepal U-19 Team Leaves for Malaysia

Four-time champions Nepal will be looking to add another title when they begin their campaign at the ACC U-19 Elite Cup, beginning on Friday in Malaysia. Prior to their departure, the team received fare-well amid fare-well program organised at the premises of National Sports Council. On the occasion, member-secretary of NSC bade fare-well to the team in presence of members of Cricket Association of Nepal. 

 Nepal, who won the biennial tournament four times on a trot from 2001-2007, will not find it easy, but coach Tamata said his boys are ready for the task. “Unlike in the previous event, this is an average team with lots of newcomers. But they are mentally and physically fit to beat any side in the tournament,” Tamata said, indicating that rival teams too are full of new faces. 
    Nepal missed out on winning the trophy in the last two editions, going down to Afghanistan on both occasions, in the semi-finals in 2009 and in the final in 2011. So except for the 2010 edition, they have been a regular at the ICC U-19 World Cup since 2000. With UAE already taking up one of the two available slots as the 2014 U-19 World Cup hosts, Nepal need to win the tournament in Malaysia to secure the other place. 

“We understand winning the trophy will be tough but we are ready to battle for it,” said team captain Bhuban Karki, who will spearhead Nepal’s attack with spin. Within form Avinash Karn leading the pace attack Nepal appear pretty formidable in bowling department, the team’s batting was the only concern. But having undergone a rigorous 25-day training, Tamata believes his batsmen have shaped up well and will overcome that worry. 
“My batsmen are capable of putting up 180-200 runs on the board and that I guess should be enough for the U-19 level,” said Tamata, who also guided Nepal to the ICC U-19 World Cup last year. “We are prepared for the challenge and I am pretty sure of translating our potential into the desired result.” 

Get the more details of the Tournament Clicking here at

Nepalese Squad: Bhuwan Karki(C) Abhinash Karn(VC), Ram Naresh Giri, Nischal Pandey, Rahul Pratap Singh, Irshad Ahmed, Amit Shrestha, Sushan Bhari, Bibhastu Shrestha, Pawan Shrestha, Nirmal Thapa, Yagyaman Kumal, Prem Tamang and Hari Shanker Shah. Jagat Tamata is the coach of the team.