Tuesday 04 / February / 2025
MUSCAT: Oman are set to continue their quest for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup qualification with a highly anticipated tri-series at home, hosting the United States and Namibia from February 8-18 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.
Duleep Mendis-coached Oman will be looking to build on their momentum from a stunning clean sweep in November 2024 when they defeated both the Netherlands and the UAE, securing a 4-0 victory in the World Cup League 2 at home.
As the series kicks off, Oman are currently sitting in 5th place in the ICC World Cup League 2 standings with 14 points from 12 matches, having won six, lost four and two matches abandoned.
Their net run rate stands at -0.047, but their recent form has been strong, with four consecutive victories in their last five matches, including successive wins against the UAE and Netherlands in November.
With the USA and Namibia coming to Muscat, Oman will look to capitalise on their home advantage and make a solid push up the standings.
Oman’s last defeat was against hosts Canada on September 26, 2024
Head coach Duleep Mendis has expressed confidence in the squad's preparations, with the team ready to take on table toppers USA (16 points) and Namibia (10 points) in the competition.
"We did brilliantly last time in November beating fancied Netherlands and UAE twice. The boys have prepared hard since December, and the domestic tournaments provided perfect pre-tournament exposure with the recent conclusion of the D50 and the introduction of two-day matches that helped them stay at the crease for longer periods," said Mendis.
"Hopefully, the boys will come out with another good show and keep us World Cup contention," he added.
Mendis also stressed the importance of hard work and focus in the lead-up to the series, especially on improving fielding skills alongside batting and bowling. The head coach is optimistic that this focus will result in another dominant display at home.
"The boys have been training hard, and the focus was on fielding along with batting and bowling," the former Sri Lankan great added. "We are ready for the challenge."
Captain Jatinder Singh, who has been in stellar form during the D50 tournament, will lead the 15-member team. His leadership has been a key factor in Oman’s recent success.
Mendis has called up new faces for the ODI team with the inclusion of Vinayak Shukla, Hashir Dafedar, Hassnain Ali Shah, Muhammad Imran.
The players who got dropped from the squad that featured in November tri-series are Sandeep Goud, Muzahir Raza, and Karan Sonavale.
After the 50-over tri-series, Oman will face the USA in a three-match T20I series from February 20 to 23.
The standings heading into this crucial series have the USA in first place with 16 points from 12 matches, having won eight and lost four. Their net run rate stands at 0.428. Namibia, in contrast, are sitting in 6th place with 10 points from 12 matches, having won five and lost seven, with a negative net run rate of -0.180.
For Oman, the upcoming matches are crucial in their bid to qualify for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
With only the top four of the eight teams securing qualification, every match counts.
A successful series at home against the USA and Namibia could see Oman rise in the standings and strengthen their position.
Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (captain), Aamir Kaleem, Ashish Odedara, Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Jay Odedra, Samay Shrivastava, Wasim Ali, Vinayak Shukla, Hashir Dafedar, Hassnain Ali Shah, Muhammad Imran, Siddharth Bukkapatnam.
Fixtures (all matches begin at 10am): February 8: USA vs. Namibia; February 10: Oman vs. Namibial February 12: Oman vs. USAl February 14: Namibia vs. USA; February 16: Oman vs. Namibia; February 18: Oman vs. USA.
