The return of allrounder Rajeev Vohra is a boost for Germany ahead of the World Cricket League Division 7 tournament in Botswana, captain Asif Khan has said. He also backed newcomer Ashwin Prakash to perform.
"Rajeev Vohra is returning to the side after a two-three year gap. He's a medium-pacer and middle-order batsman who is also extremely agile in the field, so he's going to be important. Ashwin Prakash who is an offspinner who bats a little will also be a key factor in our side for this event." Asif also singled out Tawan Rawat - who attended the ICC's Europe Academy in La Manga, Portugal - and the in-form Milan Fernando and Farooq Ahmed as players to watch.
On the playing conditions, Asif said he is interested in seeing how his spinners fare in Botswana. "The artificial surfaces mean they will have to come up with a different way of bowling to take wickets," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how the likes of Kashif Haider perform in these conditions."
Despite the side coming into the tournament straight off Germany's winter, Asif believes the preparation has been adequate. "Preparation for WCL Division 7 began the moment we got back from the Division 8 tournament [in which Germany placed second to qualify for Division 7] in Kuwait last year.
"We've used the winter season to do a lot of indoor training, working mainly on our batting and fielding skills. In December and January there were specific indoor sessions across the regions to help players prepare for the event, while in early April we got together as a full squad and trained indoors. As part of our final preparation, last weekend we played a couple of warm-up matches against the Danish A side."
Germany take on Japan in their first match on May 1.