EAP Player in Focus - Jo Baba (Fiji)

Jo Baba (Fiji) - Right Hand Batsman/Right Arm Medium Pacer

22-year-old Jo Baba will compete in his second Australian Country Cricket Championship (ACCC) when he takes to the field in Albury from 3-14 January 2010.

The Fijian all rounder had an impressive Pepsi EAP Men's Cricket Trophy 2009 in Samoa opening the batting and averaging over 34 with the bat in the 50-over format and also scored a championship high of 103 not out in the Twenty20 competition. The athletic Baba impressed with the ball earlier this year when he debuted for the EAP team in the ACCC tournament in South Australia as well as showed his speed in the field and will certainly be a player to watch in the 2010 ACCC.

Baba was fit and in form during the recent EAP squad camp at Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence being one of the top athletes in fitness testing and performed well with both bat and ball in practice matches.

Coach Charlie Burke commented: "Jo (Baba) bowls a handy and consistent length and has learned to swing the ball. His bowling speed is close to 115 kmph, so he needs to make sure he is consistent in his bowling, which is something we have worked on in Brisbane. Jo will no doubt play all formats for us during the championship and will be a player that we will look to as a floating batsman in the T20 games. He is one of those players, selectors look to pick first as he has the right attitude, performs well and has the ability to take the game away from the opposition."

Fiji coach Steve Jenkin has worked with the star all-rounder since arriving in Fiji and rated him so highly that Cricket Fiji sent him to play the Australian summer in Wollongong. He has impressed for his club side scoring runs and taking wickets and will certainly be better prepared for the ACCC this time around.

EAP will start its ACCC event with a T20 double header against Queensland and New South Wales on 3 January 2010 in Albury.