Maqsood to lead Oman at T20 World Cup, uncapped Dhamba, Ayan make the cut
Barring two uncapped players in Nestor Dhamba and Ayan Khan, Oman will be fielding an experienced squad at the T20 World Cup starting October 18 in Al Amerat. Veteran allrounder Zeeshan Maqsood will lead the side.
With Oman playing at home for the first stage of the tournament, they have named no reserve players. Maqsood will be reliant on the collective experience of Mohammad Nadeem, Aqib Ilyas, Khawar Ali and Jatinder Singh in the competition.
Oman's first task at the T20 World Cup will be to achieve a top-two finish in their group of Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and Scotland. If they do that, Oman will proceed to the Super 12 stage of the competition in the UAE.
Co-hosts of the T20 World Cup along with the UAE, Oman were the last team to qualify for the competition after winning the World Cup qualifier playoff game in 2019 against Hong Kong for the final spot.
They enter the competition following two wins in three home T20s against Indian domestic side Mumbai, giving the Asian side crucial match practice before the World Cup. Oman played the 2016 T20 World Cup in India previously, where they recorded their first-ever tournament win when they beat Ireland in Dharamsala.
Oman's squad for T20 World Cup: Zeeshan Maqsood (capt), Aqib Ilyas (vice-capt), Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Ayan Khan, Suraj Kumar, Sandeep Goud, Nestor Dhamba, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Naseem Khushi, Sufyan Mehmood, Fayyaz Butt, Khurram Khan