KARACHI: For Nepal, their maiden Asia Cup appearance will be about the “showing their attitude”, the team’s head coach Monty Desai has said.

The Nepal squad is currently conducted its first training session here at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday, as part of their preparation for the Asia Cup opener, which they are scheduled to play against Multan on Aug. 30.

The team will undergo another training session on Friday before playing a practice match against a local side at the Karachi Gymkhana on Saturday before they fly out to Multan.

Nepal qualified for the Asia Cup after being crowned as champions of the ACC Premier Cup in May, opening up a host of opportunities to a nascent cricketing nation.

“The Nepal team is deservedly here to participate in the Asia Cup,” Desai told reporters after the training session. “We have had our own journey, our own story to reach here, winning the ACC Premier Cup a couple of months ago.”

Nepal have a fairly young squad, which will be without their talismanic captain Sandeep Lamichanne, which will make facing giants like India and Pakistan even harder for them.

They, however, got the taste of playing against outfits from both countries in the recent Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

“The boys have practiced really hard in the last three to four months,” said Desai. “They have also got opportunities, especially in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, playing against India A and Pakistan Shaheens.

“Obviously the results weren’t in our favour then but it’s about experience. Personally, my expectation from this young team is that they show their attitude.”

Desai said his players were excited to “become a part of history” in the coming days, with Nepal pooled against hosts Pakistan and India in Group ‘A’ of the Asia Cup.

“If they show their skills here, then there will be something new to see for the world,” observed the coach. “And they will celebrate this occassion, which will make them a part of the history as they will play two big Test playing nations.”

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023