Nepal set to make huge strides; will play Sydney Thunder in BBL practice matches

Sydney Thunder, who finished last in the recent Big Bash League (BBL 15) season have begun chalking out plans for redemption and somehow it involves the Nepal cricket team as well. Trent Copeland, Thunder GM has confirmed that talks between the two organizations have begun.

Sydney Thunder General Manager Trent Copeland discussed the franchise's disappointing performance in BBL 15 while outlining their future objectives. The franchise, which has a significant presence in Western Sydney, contacted the host of the Nepal national team in their area to engage the community. 

Trent acknowledged hosting the Nepal team for BBL practice matches due to his enormous viewership, which includes members of the South Asian community.

“Without getting the cart before the horse, we’ve had discussions with the Nepalese national team about coming and playing BBL practice matches for us in the window just before the tournament,” Copeland stated to Cricket Australia website.

Although there were several outstanding individual performances, general manager Trent Copeland is aware that the squad was unable to produce continuous, high-caliber cricket, and as a result, the team finished last in the BBL rankings for the second time in three seasons.

Sydney Thunder likely to explore Indian diaspora by hosting Nepal team

Copeland discussed the extent the club has taken to engage with supporters and demonstrate their concern for all diaspora members in the area, especially those with ties to Nepal, as an organization with close ties to the South Asian population in the city, and particularly in Western Sydney.

"Having the Nepalese community in Western Sydney be able to come and watch that match... that to me is ways we can do things authentically. The way we're thinking about South Asian engagement generally, whether it's the Nepalese national team or whether it's the Indian diaspora, is don't do things because it seems like a great idea right now, it's thinking about who we are to our core,” Copeland added.

Sydney Thunder Player List

Contracted for BBL|15: Cameron Bancroft (BBL|17), Sam Billings (BBL|16), Matt Gilkes (BBL|17), Chris Green (BBL|16), Ryan Hadley (BBL|17), Sam Konstas (BBL|18), Aidan O’Connor (BBL|16), Daniel Sams (BBL|17), Tanveer Sangha (BBL|17), David Warner (BBL|16).

Out: Liam Hatcher (Stars), Ollie Davies (Sixers).

Eligible free agents: Wes Agar, Charlie Anderson, Tom Andrews, Pat Cummins, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras.

Uncontracted: Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Reece Topley (England), David Willey (England), Ravichandran Ashwin (India), Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand).

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