Bahrain looks forward to strong performance in ACC Permier Cup

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

The spirits are high in the Bahrain camp as they look forward to their first match of the Asian Cricket Council Premier Cup against Singapore today.

The tournament that got underway on Tuesday pits 10 of the region’s best emerging teams in 50-over action in Nepal as the final step in qualification for the Asia Cup 2023.

The 10 teams are split into two groups where Oman, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia are in Group A with hosts Nepal while Bahrain is in Group B alongside UAE, Hong Kong, Kuwait and Singapore.

The teams will battle it out in Kathmandu for a spot in the semi-finals followed by a final that will decide the last remaining qualification spot at the Asia Cup 2023.

Bhaskar Pillai, who has recently taken over as the head coach for the Bahrain side, made sure that the team got to Nepal early to get accustomed to the conditions and the pitches.

“We don’t have a turf pitch back in Bahrain so we got a few friendly fixtures in to help the boys adapt.

The team is upbeat and rearing to go. We have our limitations but we won’t be surprised if we have some upset wins”, said head coach Bhaskar Pillai.

His sentiments were echoed by captain Haider Ali, “The team is excited and looking forward to our first match against Singapore.

We will perform to the best of our abilities and hope to qualify for the next round.” Bahrain Cricket Federation’s President Hatim Dadabai thanked the ACC Leadership for providing this platform for Associate Nations.

Mohammad Mansoor, Chairman of the Advisory Board of BCF, said, “Bahrain cricket has come a long way in the short time the new board has taken over under the vision of HH Shaikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

I am also very appreciative of the way the ACC is creating opportunities for emerging nations to hone their skills through these tournaments.”

Matches between teams with ODI status will be regarded as full One Day Internationals, with the Tribhuvan University ground sharing hosting rights with the Mulpani ground on the other side of the Nepal capital.

The finalists and the winner of the third-placed play-off at the tournament also qualify for the 2023 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, an eight-team tournament that also includes ‘A’ teams of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.