KATHMANDU, JAN 30 - Nepali cricketers Binod Bhandari, Sompal Kami, Sagar Pun and Rajesh Pulami Magar have been recruited by two Sri Lankan clubs for the ongoing Emerging Trophy Tournament--a three-day cricket that will be played under league format.
While Bhandari and Kami will play for the Kalutura Physical Culture Club (KPCC), Pun and Magar will ply their trades with Kurunegala Sports Club. Nepal had played a three-day match against the same Kurunegala team during their tour of Sri Lanka in November last year.
According to Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Chief Executive Officer Bhawana Ghimire, the four cricketers will stay in Sri Lanka for the next two months, playing competitive cricket. CAN is providing the accommodation and air tickets for them.
The cricketers are scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on February 9. All four have already missed the first half of the tournament and will only feature in the last six matches. Bhandari and Kami’s KPCC will be up against Burgher Recreation Club, while Pun and Magar’s Kurunegala will lock horns with Lankan Cricket Club in the fifth round of the
season that begins from February 13.
Coach Pubudu Dassanayake said the Lanka tour will be important one for Nepali cricketers. “Going into a country with a great cricketing culture will be very beneficial for them. We will soon begin our journey in the ICC World Cricket League Championship and the Lanka tour will instill a lot of mental toughness in our boys,” added the coach.
Bhandari, Kami and Pun are the part of the national team that recently finished fourth in the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia. Magar is touted to be a future prospect of Nepali cricket. Magar impressed with the bat during the three-day matches in Sri Lanka in November. Magar had slammed 91 runs against Kurunegala in the second innings.
Khadka to team up with Yuvraj
Indian batting star Yuvraj Singh has been confirmed for the Marlyebone Cricket Club (MCC) squad for the upcoming Emirates Twenty20 Tournament to be held in Dubai from March 20. Nepali national cricket team skipper Paras Khadka was recently named in the MCC squad which will be captained by England’s Nick Compton and will have England Test skipper Alastair Cook, Graham Onions and Michael Carberry among renowned names. The T20 will also include Lancashire, Yorkshire and Sussex.