Muscat, Aug 26: Oman announced a 17-member squad on Tuesday for their maiden appearance in next month’s Asia Cup to be played in the United Arab Emirates, which includes four uncapped players.
Oman are placed in Group A alongside Asian heavyweights India and Pakistan along with the UAE.The experienced Jatinder Singh will be their captain while Oman have added four uncapped players in Sufyan Yousuf, Zikriya Islam, Faisal Shah and Nadeem Khan in the squad.The ICC quoted Oman coach Duleep Mendis as saying, “It is real that we are participating in the Asia Cup – a major tournament and a fantastic opportunity for our players to showcase their skills on a global stage.” “Playing against teams like India and Pakistan is a moment to embrace for any cricketer. Anything can happen in a fast-paced T20 game, where one over of brilliance can change everything.” The former Sri Lanka player said Oman has had a strong build-up to the continental event. Sulakshan Kulkarni from India, who has coached domestic teams such as Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, is their deputy head coach.
“Our build-up has been strong, with the ongoing National T20 tournament providing competitive exposure, and our training sessions have been intense and focused,” Mendis said.Oman will take on Pakistan on September 12 in their tournament opener and will face the UAE on September 19. They will take on India on September 19 at Abu Dhabi. Squad: Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza (wk), Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedera, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Ali Shah, Faisal Shah, Muhammed Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, Samay Shrivastava. (PTI)
