West Indies A to tour Nepal for five T20s in April-May

A West Indies 'A' side will tour Nepal for five T20 games as part of an A team tour in April-May to help both sides prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA in June. It will be the first time that a West Indies side will tour Nepal.

All five games will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur starting at 1pm local time, on April 27, 28, May 1, 2 and 4.

"This A-team tour is another indication of the importance we are placing on A-team cricket and a significant phase in our preparations for the T20 World Cup," Miles Bascombe, CWI director of cricket, said in a release. "It gives us a final opportunity to see many of the contenders for a place in the squad who are not participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even for those players who do not make the final World Cup squad they will be a part of the reserve pool. A hallmark of the 2016 T20 World Cup campaign was the ability of reserve players to come in and have an immediate impact, so we must be ready for all eventualities. We also relish the opportunity to take the West Indies brand to Nepal for the first time, as cricket continues to grow in popularity there."

The only time West Indies and Nepal have played each other on the international stage was in an ODI during the World Cup Qualifiers in Harare in June last year. West Indies won that match by 101 runs after posting 339 for 7 with the help of centuries from Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran.

"We are humbled and excited with the prospect of the West Indies 'A' team touring Nepal," CAN secretary Paras Khadka said. "This marks a significant moment in our cricketing history as we embrace this wonderful opportunity bestowed upon us, which will help us prepare significantly for the T20 World Cup and beyond. This historic tour to Nepal, a young cricketing nation slowly finding its pathway in the world of cricket, will excite our passionate fans. Our heartfelt gratitude towards CWI for their support and belief in Nepal cricket and for continuing to help grow the game all over the world. We hope this will ignite more future tours and bilateral cricketing tie-ups between us and other top cricketing nations, as we march forward with great enthusiasm and appreciation".

West Indies are slotted in Group C in the T20 World Cup, along with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda. There are four groups with five teams each which will play the round-robin stage before the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eights, where the teams will be split into two groups of four. The semi-finals and final will end the tournament in June end.

In other news, Roddy Estwick has been appointed the bowling consultant of Nepal. Estwick, a former Barbados fast bowler, had worked as assistant coach with the West Indies' senior men's and the Under-19 side previously.