Afghan team off to Nepal for T20 CupBy Javed Hamim Kakar Nov 28, 2011 - 17:18
KABUL (PAN): The national cricket squad on Monday left for Nepal to participate in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Twenty20 Cup in Kathmandu, the game's regulating body said.
The nine-day tournament, scheduled to begin on Dec. 3, features Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman, Kuwait, Nepal, Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan and the Maldives.
Along with Afghanistan, the three top teams who have prequalified by virtue of their one-day international (ODI) status, will move forward to the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE in March 2012.
A statement from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said the winners and runners-up in the UAE event would play in the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
Six of the batsmen included in the team were recently trained in India, ACB Chief Executive Nasimullah Danish told Pajhwok Afghan News. Pleased with players' preparations, he hoped the team would win the cup.
Led by Nawroz Mangal, the team includes Mohammad Nabi Esakhel, Shabir Noori, Shahzad Mohammadi, Karim Sadiq, Najib Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Mirwais Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Zamir Khan, Nasim Kan, Hamid Hasan Momand and Daulat Zadran.