LAHORE: Defending champions Pakistan Shaheens are all geared up to open their campaign in the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup when they take on Nepal at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground in Sri Lanka on Friday.
The eight teams in the 50-over tournament are divided into two pools. Afghanistan-A, Bangladesh-A, Oman-A and Sri Lanka-A are a part of Group-A, while Pakistan Shaheens along with India-A, Nepal and UAE-A are in Group B.
After taking on Nepal, Mohammad Haris-led Shaheens will take on UAE-A on 17th July at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium, while their last group match will face India-A on 19th July at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals which will be played on 21st July.
The final of the tournament will take place on 23rd July. It may be noted that in the previous edition of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup was held in Bangladesh from 14 to 23 November 2019. Pakistan Shaheens won the 2019 iteration of the tournament beating hosts Bangladesh in the final by 77 runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
In the first semi-final of that competition, they defeated India Emerging Team in a thriller by three runs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
In that match Omair Bin Yousuf and Amad Butt – the only two players part of the current Shaheens squad for the forthcoming tournament – contributed significantly to the team’s win. Opening batter Omair scored 66, while right-arm fast Amad took one for 43 including a brilliant death overs spell to help his side reach the final.
On the eve of Shaheens’ opening match, Omair and Amad shed light on the team’s preparations as they looked forward to the tournament. Amad said, “We have prepared well for this event and are excited to be in action. Being an all-rounder, I try to give equal time to both batting and bowling in the practice sessions and make sure to do well as per the requirement of the team.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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