KATHMANDU, Oct 2: Nepali national cricket team hopes to break the jinx against the UAE when it takes on the host nation at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on Wednesday in the ACC Trophy Elite Cup.
Nepal has faced the UAE six times in the past in the One-Day format of the game and lost on all counts. The UAE had thrashed Nepal by 94 runs in the group stage of the 1998 edition of ACC Trophy held in Kathmandu. It had also beaten Nepal by a wicket in the 2000 edition held in the UAE. In the group stage match and the final of 2002 edition of the tournament in Singapore, the UAE had defeated Nepal by six wickets on both the occasions. Likewise, Nepal had lost to the UAE by nine wickets in the semifinal of the 2006 edition held in Malaysia and by six wickets in the semifinal of the 2008 edition.[break]
Nepal is yet to beat the UAE in the T20 format. The only victory Nepal had registered against the UAE was in a three-day match held in Kathmandu in 2005.
However, Nepali team spirited by its title victory in the ICC World Cricket League Division 4 hopes to break the jinx against the UAE this time around.
"We are focusing on improving our batting to face teams like the UAE and Afghanistan, which have quality bowling," said Nepali team coach Pubudu Dassanayake before flying to the UAE for the tournament.
The UAE is ranked higher than Nepal in the ICC World Cricket League (WCL). The UAE is currently enjoying WCL Division 2 status and is among the top eight associate nation teams that can play in the World Cricket League Championship, from which the top two teams will qualify for the upcoming Cricket World Cup.
"Things are moving well for us now and the ACC Trophy would be a real test of our mettle against quality teams like Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman and the UAE," said Dassanayake.
Nepal had lost to Afghanistan by 95 runs in the final of the last edition of ACC Trophy held in Kuwait in 2010, when the UAE had crashed out of the tournament from the group stage.
As Nepal is expecting to get one step further than in the last edition and the UAE is expecting to regain lost glory, the Wednesday´s match is expected to be tough for both the sides.
Nepal is slated in Group B of the tournament along with the UAE, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Nepal will face Kuwait on Saturday and Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Nepal will lock horns with Hong Kong on October 9 in the last group match.
Afghanistan, Malaysia, Oman, Bhutan and Maldives are drawn in Group A. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.