Dubai, Sep 12 The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 is set to resume for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic when Nepal faces second-placed USA in Muscat on Monday.
Nepal is currently ranked sixth in the points table featuring table-toppers Oman, the USA, Scotland, Namibia, the UAE and Papua New Guinea. Nepal so far has played four matches in the four-year League 2 cycle and have registered two wins and two defeats.
Oman leads the standings winning eight of the 10 matches played. The USA is second in the standings with six wins out of 12 matches played and PNG are at the bottom having lost all eight matches played so far.
In a recent two match ODI series that USA played in Oman, USA's Jaskaran Malhotra stole the show with his feat of six sixes in an over against Papua New Guinea. Becoming the fourth player and second player in ODI cricket after Herschelle Gibbs to strike six sixes in an over in international cricket, the batsman has become an overnight sensation and will be hoping to bring his superb form into the series.
Malhotra and his USA team will play Nepal in the first fixture followed by Oman on 16 September. For Nepal, globe-trotting leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane will hold the key with the ball. Two days ago, Lamichhane took his best career figures of 6/11 against Papua New Guinea. USA know what the 21-year-old can do, having been bowled out for 35 in 12 overs with Lamichhane taking 6/16 in the last league match in Kirtipur in February 2020.
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 is the gateway to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 as the teams finishing in the top three will secure berths in the Men's CWC Qualifier set to take place in Zimbabwe between 18 June and 9 July 2023. The bottom four will compete in the Men's CWC Qualifier Play-Off.
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