Latest news with #WCL2
Muscat Daily
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Oman step up WCL 2 preparations with series against Kerala at home
Muscat – In an effort to provide Oman players quality games that will serve as ideal tune-up to the tri-nation series of ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (CWC) League 2 (2024/27) in the USA next month (May 17-27), Oman Cricket will host the Kerala state team over a four-match limited-overs series from April 21 at the Oman Cricket Academy ground. Oman's recent form in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 has been promising. Oman are currently placed fourth in the WCL 2 standing comprising eight nations with 18 points from 16 games. USA lead the standings with 22 from 16 while the Netherlands are second with 20. Canada are third with 20 points from 16 games followed by Oman and Namibia (14 from 20 games). The visiting Kerala side, which finished as Ranji Trophy – India's premier domestic red-ball competition – runner-up this season, will be up against an ICC side for the first time. The Oman Chairman's XI squad will feature players from the national team. Kerala will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, but the squad will miss star Indian cricketer Sanju Samson, who is involved with IPL. The team is coached by former Indian cricketer Tinu Yohannan. Mendis welcomed the Kerala team to Oman. 'We are pleased to host the Kerala team, the finalist of Ranji Trophy this season for a four-match friendly series. The team has quality players and we are keen to play against such good sides as we prepare for our USA tour next month.' He added: 'This series is ideal for our boys as they have been undergoing rigorous training over the past few weeks. The boys will gain confidence ahead of our USA tour of WCL 2 that will also feature Canada. We will also play another strong Indian state team of Karnataka later this month and the two series will provide our boys the needed warm-up and hopefully we can get good results' 'We're treating these matches with the same seriousness as international fixtures,' he said. Mendis added that the Oman team management sees the series as a platform to test combinations and assess form. 'This will help our selectors and coaching staff make key decisions on the final 15 before the League 2 tournament. We're also happy to build sporting ties with teams like Kerala and encourage these exchanges.' Oman Chairman's XI will be led by Jatinder Singh. Oman team: Jatinder Singh, Aamir Kaleem, Pruthvi Machhi, Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Jay Odedra, Samay Shrivastava, Wasim Ali, Vinayak Shukla, Hassnain Ali Shah, Muhammad Imran, Mujib Ali, Sandeep Goud, Ashish Odedara, Hashir Dafedar, Mohammed Bilal Shah, Muzahir Raza, Ubaidullah. Match schedule: April 21: First match, 2pm; April 23: Second match, 2pm; April 25: Third game, 2pm; April 27; Fourth and final match, 10am.
Observer
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman step up WCL 2 preparations with series against Kerala
MUSCAT: In an effort to provide Oman players quality games that will serve as ideal tune-up to the tri-nation series of ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (CWC) League 2 (2024/27) in the USA next month (May 17-27), Oman Cricket will host the Kerala state team over a four-match limited-overs series from April 21 at the Oman Cricket Academy ground. Oman's recent form in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 has been promising. Oman are currently placed fourth in the WCL 2 standing comprising eight nations with 18 points from 16 games. The USA lead the standing with 22 from 16 while the Netherlands are second with 20 from similar number of matches. Canada are third with 20 points from 16 games followed by Oman and Namibia (14 from 20 games). The visiting Kerala side, which finished as Ranji Trophy — India's premier domestic red-ball competition — runner-up this season, will be up against an ICC side for the first time. Kerala will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, but the squad will miss star Indian cricketer Sanju Samson, who is involved with IPL. The team is coached by former Indian cricketer Tinu Yohannan. Mendis welcomed the Kerala team to Oman. 'We are pleased to host the Kerala team, the finalist of Ranji Trophy this season for a four-match friendly series. The team has quality players and we are keen to play against such good sides as we prepare for our USA tour next month.' He added: 'This series is ideal for our boys as they have been undergoing rigorous training over the past few weeks. The boys will gain confidence ahead of our USA tour of WCL 2 that will also feature Canada. We will also play another strong Indian state team of Karnataka later this month and the two series will provide our boys the needed warm-up and hopefully we can get good results.' 'We're treating these matches with the same seriousness as international fixtures,' he said. Mendis added that the Oman team management sees the series as a platform to test combinations and assess form. 'This will help our selectors and coaching staff make key decisions on the final 15 before the League 2 tournament. We're also happy to build sporting ties with teams like Kerala and encourage these exchanges.' Oman Chairman's XI will be led by Jatinder Singh. Oman team: Jatinder Singh, Aamir Kaleem, Pruthvi Machhi, Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Jay Odedra, Samay Shrivastava, Wasim Ali, Vinayak Shukla, Hassnain Ali Shah, Muhammad Imran, Mujib Ali, Sandeep Goud, Ashish Odedara, Hashir Dafedar, Mohammed Bilal Shah, Muzahir Raza, Ubaidullah. Match schedule: April 21: First match, 2 pm; April 23: Second match, 2 pm; April 25: Third game, 2 pm; April 27; Fourth and final match, 10 am.
Times of Oman
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Oman step up WCL 2 preparations with series against Kerala at home
MUSCAT: In an effort to provide Oman players quality games that will serve as ideal tune-up to the tri-nation series of ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (CWC) League 2 (2024/27) in the USA next month (May 17-27), Oman Cricket will host the Kerala state team over a four-match limited-overs series from April 21 at the Oman Cricket Academy ground. Oman's recent form in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 has been promising. Oman are currently placed fourth in the WCL 2 standing comprising eight nations with 18 points from 16 games. USA lead the standing with 22 from 16 while the Netherlands are second with 20 from similar number of matches. Canada are third with 20 points from 16 games followed by Oman and Namibia (14 from 20 games). The visiting Kerala side, which finished as Ranji Trophy - India's premier domestic red-ball competition - runner-up this season, will be up against an ICC side for the first time. The Oman Chairman's XI squad will feature players from the national team. Kerala will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Azharuddeen, but the squad will miss star Indian cricketer Sanju Samson, who is involved with IPL. The team is coached by former Indian cricketer Tinu Yohannan. Mendis welcomed the Kerala team to Oman. 'We are pleased to host the Kerala team, the finalist of Ranji Trophy this season for a four-match friendly series. The team has quality players and we are keen to play against such good sides as we prepare for our USA tour next month.' He added: 'This series is ideal for our boys as they have been undergoing rigorous training over the past few weeks. The boys will gain confidence ahead of our USA tour of WCL 2 that will also feature Canada. We will also play another strong Indian state team of Karnataka later this month and the two series will provide our boys the needed warm-up and hopefully we can get good results' 'We're treating these matches with the same seriousness as international fixtures,' he said. Mendis added that the Oman team management sees the series as a platform to test combinations and assess form. 'This will help our selectors and coaching staff make key decisions on the final 15 before the League 2 tournament. We're also happy to build sporting ties with teams like Kerala and encourage these exchanges.' Oman Chairman's XI will be led by Jatinder Singh. Oman team: Jatinder Singh, Aamir Kaleem, Pruthvi Machhi, Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Jay Odedra, Samay Shrivastava, Wasim Ali, Vinayak Shukla, Hassnain Ali Shah, Muhammad Imran, Mujib Ali, Sandeep Goud, Ashish Odedara, Hashir Dafedar, Mohammed Bilal Shah, Muzahir Raza, Ubaidullah. Match schedule: April 21: First match, 2pm; April 23: Second match, 2pm; April 25: Third game, 2pm; April 27; Fourth and final match, 10am.
Observer
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Duleep eyes strong finish for Oman cricket team in WCL2
MUSCAT: Oman's head coach, Duleep Mendis, emphasised the importance of strategic planning, team rebuilding and exposure to tough international conditions as the national cricket team gears up for the remaining 20 matches in the ongoing ICC World Cup League 2 (WCL 2), a crucial pathway to the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. In a recent interview after the conclusion of the WCL 2 tri-series at home in February that witnessed Oman compete with USA and Namibia, Mendis reflected on his team's recent performances, highlighting both the challenges and progress made. Oman currently hold the second position in the WCL 2 standings, having accumulated 18 points from 16 matches, with a net run rate (NRR) of +0.013. The United States lead with 22 points from 16 matches and an NRR of +0.602, while Canada trail closely with 17 points but has played 13 games. The Netherlands are fourth with 17 points from 14 games, while Scotland [14 points, 11 games], Namibia [12pts, 17 games], Nepal [6pts, 12 games] and the UAE [4pts, 11 games] complete the standings as on March 5. Mendis admitted that the team faced significant challenges during their start of the WCL 2 campaign last year that featured tours of Scotland and Canada, particularly in dealing with unfamiliar playing conditions. 'The hybrid pitches in Scotland, July 2024, were extremely green, making it difficult to differentiate the wicket from the surrounding area,' he recollected. 'We didn't perform well there, but we played without complaints. Similarly, in Canada, September 2024, early morning matches had to be rescheduled due to wet conditions. Those challenges were all part of the learning process for our boys.' Despite setbacks in the early rounds of the campaigns, Mendis remains optimistic as his boys have regrouped and found form in tri-series at home since November last year. The home run saw Oman register a four-match winning streak in November and post two wins out of four in the tri-series that concluded on February 18. Mendis said: 'We had to quickly rebuild a complete new team after losing a large group of players late last October. Within just two days, we assembled a new squad and put them to the test during the Emerging Teams Asia Cup.' "It was followed by the highly competitive WCL 2 tri-series at Oman Cricket Academy ground in Al Amerat in November, which featured the fancied Netherlands and the UAE teams. It was a tough and difficult phase for us, but we adapted well." Oman's resurgence has been driven by experienced players stepping up in crucial moments. The former Sri Lanka cricket great praised the impact of skipper Jatinder Singh, whose consistency has been vital to Oman's victories in the WCL campaign. He said, 'Jatinder has carried his domestic form into the international stage, and that has been a huge boost for us. His contributions, along with other seniors like Aamir Kaleem, have given the team lot of confidence.'
Muscat Daily
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Mendis eyes strong finish for Oman in WCL 2
Muscat – Oman's head coach, Duleep Mendis, emphasised the importance of strategic planning, team rebuilding, and exposure to tough international conditions as the national cricket team gears up for the remaining 20 matches in the ongoing ICC World Cup League 2 (WCL 2), a crucial pathway to the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup. In a recent interview after the conclusion of the WCL 2 tri-series at home in February that witnessed Oman compete with USA and Namibia, Mendis reflected on his team's recent performances, highlighting both the challenges and progress made. Oman currently hold the second position in the WCL 2 standings, having accumulated 18 points from 16 matches, with a net run rate (NRR) of +0.013. The United States lead with 22 points from 16 matches and an NRR of +0.602, while Canada trail closely with 17 points but has played 13 games. The Netherlands are fourth with 17 points from 14 games while Scotland [14 points, 11 games], Namibia [12 pts, 17 games], Nepal [6 it's, 12 games] and the UAE [4pts, 11 games] complete the standings as on March 5. Learning from challenges Mendis admitted that the team faced significant challenges during their start of the WCL 2 campaign last year that featured tours of Scotland and Canada, particularly in dealing with unfamiliar playing conditions. 'The hybrid pitches in Scotland [July 2024] were extremely green, making it difficult to differentiate the wicket from the surrounding area,' he recollected. 'We didn't perform well there, but we played without complaints. Similarly, in Canada [September 2024], early morning matches had to be rescheduled due to wet conditions. Those challenges were all part of the learning process for our boys.' Despite setbacks in the early rounds of the campaigns, Mendis remains optimistic as his boys have regrouped and found form in tri-series at home since November last year as the Team in Red won six of the eight games played at home. The home run saw Oman register a four-match winning streak in November and post two wins out of four in the tri-series that concluded on February 18. Mendis said: 'We had to quickly rebuild a complete new team after losing a large group of players late last year [October]. Within just two days, we assembled a new squad and put them to the test during the Emerging Teams Asia Cup. 'It was followed by the highly competitive WCL 2 tri-series at Oman Cricket Academy ground in Al Amerat in November, which featured the fancied Netherlands and the UAE teams. It was a tough and difficult phase for us, but we adapted well.' Strengthening the squad Oman's resurgence has been driven by experienced players stepping up in crucial moments. The former Sri Lanka cricket great praised the impact of skipper Jatinder Singh, whose consistency has been vital to Oman's victories in the WCL campaign. He said, 'Jatinder has carried his domestic form into the international stage, and that has been a huge boost for us. His contributions, along with other seniors like Aamir Kaleem, have given the team lot of confidence.' The head coach, who also serves as Oman Cricket's Chief Development Officer, credited Oman's spin attack of being instrumental in Oman's dominating performance at home. 'Spinners like Shakeel Ahmed, Jay Odedra, and Samay Shrivastava have performed exceptionally well. Even experienced players of our opposition teams have struggled against our quality spin bowling attack,' he said. However, Mendis acknowledged that the team's fast bowling unit had suffered setbacks, following the absence of pace spearhead Bilal Khan due to injury. 'Bilal underwent surgery, but we're hopeful he'll return in time for our next tri-series in USA in May. Meanwhile, we have three or four promising young fast bowlers coming through,' he added. The path forward With 20 WCL 2 matches remaining, Mendis is focused on ensuring that Oman is well-prepared for the challenges ahead. 'Associate cricket is extremely competitive. It's not just about talent but also about handling pressure in key moments. Our middle order, for example, is still adapting to international cricket. The gap between domestic and Associate-level cricket is significant, and exposure is the only way to bridge it,' he emphasised. Mendis is keen on securing more bilateral series to provide the squad with valuable match practice ahead of their tour to USA in May. 'We are exploring options to play against stronger teams, either by traveling abroad or inviting them to Oman. Afghanistan A were potential opponents, but the schdeduling conflicts make it difficult to get the warm-up matches arranged. We're also considering a tri-series with other teams,' he said. Looking ahead, Oman will resume training in mid-March after a short break during the ongoing holy month Ramadan. 'We will focus on physical conditioning first when we begin our next domestic camp, followed by skill-specific training. We also plan to arrange overseas camps to give players experience in different playing conditions,' Mendis said. Mental toughness For Mendis, mental resilience is just as crucial as technical skill. 'When you're playing for a World Cup spot, every game carries enormous pressure. The ability to absorb that pressure and make smart decisions separates top teams from the rest. Our younger players need to experience this firsthand,' he said. Despite the long road ahead, Mendis remains confident about Oman's chances of securing a top-four finish in WCL 2 and earning a place in the next stage of World Cup qualification, the Qualifier that will feature top four teams from WCL 2. The head coach admitted that Oman have to get prepared to play in more challenging conditions as they have only one tri-series remaining at home, which means they have only four matches at home of the 20 remaining games. 'We will prepare accordingly and I have the belief in the boys and we have the potential to finish among the top-four and qualify for the next stage,' he said 'We have a well-balanced team, a strong spin attack, and a growing pool of young talent. With the right preparations and mindset, we can go all the way,' he signed off.
