Captain of the Nepal cricket team, Rohit Paudel©AFP
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has claimed that his team is capable of being competitive against hosts Pakistan and India in the Asia Cup 2023 from August 30. The Nepal team is all set to make their Asia Cup debut, having finished in Group A have been clubbed alongside the hosts and India. “We are playing for the first time and it is a great achievement for all of us. Pakistan is a very good side and we want to give them a competitive game like India. So we deserve to be here,” Paudel was quoted as saying on Tuesday. during the pre-match press conference When asked about the biggest difference between his side and the Pakistanis, he said that apart from experience, there is not much difference between the two sides.
“The difference would be the experience. If you count on skills, both batting and bowling are the same (for both sides). But if you count on experience, Pakistan is an experienced side.” “Both teams have world class bowlers and batsmen. Our focus is on winning one ball (at a time) no matter who the opponent is,” Paudel added.
The Rhinos are coming from direct competition, having competed in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers where they finished eighth, followed by the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, failing to progress beyond the group stage.
Paudel called the two tournaments good preparation platforms for the Asia Cup, and also admitted that expectations are high for them.
“We had a good preparation. We played in Zimbabwe (ICC World Cup Qualifiers) and the Emerging Asia Cup. So we are well prepared.” “There are many expectations from us. All Naples have dreamed of this Asia Cup.” “We have been playing for more than twenty years and it is a great opportunity to represent our country at the highest level, especially in the Asia Cup. So it is a great opportunity for all of us,” he concluded.
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