Eight Papua New Guinea Barramundis players have secured club cricket opportunities in Melbourne, Australia.
The opportunities will provide them with the chance to gain regular playing experience across three formats of the game.
The announcement was made following the team’s arrival from Kenya, where they competed in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge League A.
PNG captain Assadollah Vala, Aue Oru and Doko Rupa will join Endeavour Hills Cricket Club. John Kariko and Patrick Nou will represent Craigieburn Cricket Club, while Greenvale Kangaroos Cricket Club has secured the services of Lega Siaka and Igo Morea. Boio Ray will represent Narre North Cricket Club.
PNG Barramundis Head Coach Tim McCaskill said the opportunities would be valuable for the players, particularly through exposure to regular competitive cricket.
“We are excited for the player placement opportunities in Melbourne, and the players will benefit from regular play across three formats, which will be a new experience for the majority of them,” he said.
This follows the Barramundis’ unsuccessful campaign in Kenya, where they recorded only one win from five matches.
McCaskill said the outcome was unfortunate, adding that the current 50-over cycle had come to an end.
“Unfortunately, that is the end of the current 50-over cycle. The next focus for players will be playing in the Port Moresby Cricket Association (POMCA). A group of players will have the opportunity to play the summer in Melbourne,” McCaskill said.
Reflecting on the campaign, McCaskill said the results in Kenya had highlighted the increasing standard of cricket among Associate Member countries and the need for PNG to improve its competitiveness.
“The results in Kenya have highlighted to all players that the game across Associate countries has gone up a level,” he added.
“If we are to remain competitive, then we need to make sure that our ability to handle match demands improves.”
He identified playing spin bowling and improving the team’s scoring capacity as key areas requiring attention.
“We are going to be targeted with spin by all teams, so all players have to improve their understanding of playing spin. When to use their feet, using the depth of the crease to score on each side of the wicket, and improving our hitting power to push scoring rates,” McCaskill stated.
The team’s campaign concluded on Saturday, October 31, with an 88-run loss to hosts Kenya. PNG recorded their only victory against Denmark, winning by four wickets on October 25.
PNG opened their campaign against Jersey on Thursday, October 22, suffering a 172-run defeat before bouncing back three days later with a four-wicket victory over Denmark.
However, the Barramundis were unable to maintain their winning momentum, losing their remaining three matches against Qatar, Kuwait and Kenya.
On Tuesday, October 27, PNG suffered a nine-wicket defeat against Qatar before going down by 10 wickets to Kuwait on Friday, October 30.
Their final match against Kenya on Saturday, October 31, ended in an 88-run defeat, concluding their five-match campaign with one victory and four losses.
The results meant PNG did not qualify for the next stage of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup qualification pathway, bringing an end to the current 50-over World Cup cycle.
