Saturday 10 / May / 2025
MUSCAT — Fuelled by weeks of intense preparation and a steely determination to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive, the Oman national cricket team touched down in the United States on Friday ahead of the crucial ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 (CWC L2) tri-series, which begins on May 17 at Broward Stadium in Florida.
The tri-series will see Oman take on hosts USA and fellow contenders Canada in what is shaping up to be a pivotal leg of the League 2 campaign. Oman currently are fourth in the standings with 18 points, behind USA (22 points from 16 matches), Netherlands (22 from 17), and Canada (20), making this Florida series a must-perform tour for the Men in Red.
Arriving a week in advance, Oman will begin their pre-series schedule with two warm-up matches against Minor League Cricket sides on May 11 and 13 in Orlando, giving them time to adapt to American conditions and fine-tune combinations.
Head coach Duleep Mendis believes the team is ready, citing the high-quality preparations back home, including a fiercely contested four-match series against Kerala that ended 2-2 and a three-match face-off with Karnataka, which Oman lost 0-3 but drew vital lessons from.
“We are coming to showcase our strength in the L2 series in the USA. The preparations have been amazing,” said Mendis. “First, we had Kerala here. Then Karnataka — among top Indian domestic teams. Playing under such testing conditions has helped our players immensely. You can’t ask for better match exposure than this before a major international series.”
Skipper Jatinder Singh was in sublime touch during the Kerala series, scoring 210 runs in just two innings, including a commanding 150. Pruthvi Machhi also struck a century, while Mohammad Nadeem contributed with two gritty fifties. Aamir Kaleem and Mujib Ali added one fifty each. On the bowling front, Hassnain Ali Shah led the charge with 9 wickets in two games, with Shakeel Ahmed close behind, claiming 7 scalps.
Despite the clean sweep by Karnataka, the likes of Hammad Mirza (124), Machhi, Nadeem, Vinayak Shukla, and Aryan Bisht — all of whom registered fifties — showed promise. “That series, though tough, gave our youngsters the kind of match toughness that can’t be taught in nets,” Mendis added.
He also reflected on the rapid rebuilding process Oman Cricket undertook after losing several senior players last year. “We had to assemble a new team within two days for the Emerging Teams Asia Cup,” he recalled. “Then came the tri-series in Al Amerat against Netherlands and UAE. It was a very difficult phase, but the boys adapted well and produced some remarkable results.”
Among those to watch is Aryan Bisht, a talented off-spinner and middle-order bat who played for Oman’s U19 side in 2022 and made the Emerging Asia Cup squad earlier this year. This tour marks his first appearance in a senior ODI assignment.
Looking ahead, Mendis is confident that Oman’s blend of youth and experience, backed by a potent spin department and a steadily maturing core, can keep their qualification hopes alive. “This is an important series. The boys are strong, the mindset is right, and I believe this team can go all the way,” he said.
As the countdown begins in Florida, Oman’s campaign will be underpinned by strategic planning, disciplined execution, and a burning desire to prove that this rebuilt side has what it takes to rise on the world stage.
Oman squad: Jatinder Singh (captain), Vinayak Shukla (vice-captain), Aamir Kaleem, Pruthvi Machhi, Hammad Mirza, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Jay Odedra, Samay Shrivastava, Hassnain Ali Shah, Muhammad Imran, Mujib Ali, Muzahir Raza, Aryan Bisht.
Oman tour schedule (Florida, USA): May 11: Warm-up match vs Minor League team, Orlando, May 13: Warm-up match vs Minor League team, Orlando, May 17: Travel to Fort Lauderdale, May 19: Oman vs Canada, May 21: Oman vs USA, May 23: Oman vs Canada, May 25: Oman vs USA, May 26: Rest day, May 27: Oman vs USA, May 28: Departure.
