Danube Lions hope to gain vital experience against Nepal and PNG

Denzil Pinto 09:16 27/10/2015
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  • A step-up for champions: Danube Lions will now clash with international opposition.

    Danube Lions will make history by becoming the first UAE domestic side to play against international opponents next month.

    Danube Lions, one of the top teams in the country, will test themselves in limited-overs practice games against Nepal on November 11 in Dubai and Papua New Guinea three days later in Abu Dhabi.

    The fixtures are part of the one-year partnership between Danube Lions and ICC Academy with the aim of improving the team on and off the field.

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    Both games will act as warm-ups for the two nations in their preparations for the ICC World Cricket League Championship and Intercontinental Cup matches.

    Under the reins of new coach Dominic Telo, the Danube players, including Riaz Afridi, who turned out for UAE in their practice game against Pakistan earlier this month, have been put through their paces three times a week at ICC Academy. So far, results have been positive with two victories out of two in the Elite Cup in Dubai.

    They will be looking to carry that confidence into the two practice games and Danube owner Anis Sajan insists performance is more important than the result.

    “I’ll be very honest, I’m not looking too much into the result,” said Sajan. “The most important thing is the performance…how we play in those two games.

    “Matches are not just about winning or losing, it’s about what you learn from these games, and I hope the players can gain a lot of experience from these two matches.

    He added: “Obviously I am very happy that we have been given an opportunity to rub shoulders with international players and we are putting in lots of hard work three times a week for three hours for more than three weeks now.

    “My players are sweating it out during training as it requires hard work to play against international players. For sure, it will not be a walk in the park and we expect it to be a tough test for the players.”

    After seeing his side triumphing on many occasions, including the prestigious Al Hamad and Bukhatir trophies, Sajan wants his players to make the most of the opportunity.

    “The most important thing is that if players want to learn, they need to gain experience by playing against international teams,” he said.

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