Pallekele, Sri Lanka – Oman may still have one match left to play at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but their hopes of advancing are over. Eliminated from the Super Eight race after three heavy defeats in Group B, the Associate nation is already looking ahead – with senior Oman Cricket official and national team manager Alkesh Joshi outlining a structured long-term plan centred on stronger opposition, player wellbeing and sustained international exposure.
“Overall, with ten World Cup debutants in the squad, despite the three defeats, I believe we have done reasonably well,” Joshi said at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday, where the team is training ahead of their final group game against Australia on February 20.
“I certainly expected a better display, more in terms of execution of our batting and bowling. Hopefully, they will do better against Australia as they have nothing to lose,” he added.
Oman had arrived early in Sri Lanka to prepare for the tournament and showed encouraging signs in the build-up, registering morale-boosting victories over Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe in official World Cup warm-up matches.
“We came down well in advance to acclimatise and did get off to morale-boosting wins over Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe, two tough opponents. The boys showed a lot of character in those victories,” said Joshi, who also serves as Oman Cricket Treasurer.
However, once the tournament began, Oman struggled to replicate that form, suffering defeats to Zimbabwe, hosts Sri Lanka and Ireland.
“It clearly underlined that our boys do not lack talent or skills, but when it came to the main tournament, they failed to cross over the line, quite clearly because of the lack of experience and nerves at the biggest stage,” said Joshi, who has been closely associated with this World Cup campaign.
“This is after all the World Cup. We reached this stage after strong performances in the qualifiers and to make it for a second successive World Cup and fourth overall, the best by an Asian Associate nation, proves that our boys don’t lack talent and skills.”
Joshi identified consistent competition against top-ranked sides as the key priority once the tournament concludes for Oman.
“Following our elimination from the race for Super Eight stage from a very tough group that included two former world champions – Sri Lanka and Australia – the Oman Cricket board will gather to review the team’s performance but the road ahead for us is clear,” he said.
“We must have a very structured programme where we consistently play against high-class opposition and play high-quality cricket. To play against higher-ranked rivals is extremely critical for the growth of Oman Cricket.”
Beyond the current tournament, Oman are preparing for an intense international calendar as they target qualification for global events across formats.
He said: “This year and 2027 are busy times for Oman Cricket as we shift our focus to the 50-over format with Oman in the race to qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup,” Joshi said. “We have four tours of ICC Cricket World Cup League where we are currently fourth in the eight-nation table. We also will play the ACC Premier Cup. We also have the T20 World Cup Qualifier in 2027 and hopefully we can qualify for the 50-over World Cup.”
Recognising the pressures of elite competition, Oman Cricket is placing renewed emphasis on player wellbeing and psychological preparation.
“In light of such a hectic and packed cricket schedule, we have decided to focus on our players’ wellbeing and mental conditioning,” Joshi said. “Plans are to have clinics and workshops with renowned mental conditioning coaches in July and August, followed by extensive top-class exposure against better teams.”
Exposure tours and training camps abroad are also part of the strategy. “We will camp in a country where we can get different types of wicket conditions and better opposition as we move forward with hopes,” he said.
“The inputs of head coach Duleep Mendis and deputy head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni will be key to our decision on it.”
Oman conclude their group campaign against Australia on Friday, a match that offers valuable experience for the Duleep Mendis-coached side.
For an Associate nation that has endured one of the tournament’s toughest campaigns, the results have been sobering. Yet, as Oman Cricket’s leadership emphasises, the focus now is firmly on growth – through structure, stronger competition and sustained investment in the future.
