PNG Players Complete Final Melbourne Training Session
Members of the Papua New Guinea Cricket team have completed what will be the last of their Melbourne based training sessions before finalising preparations for World Cricket League (WCL) Division 2 that begins in Dubai on 8 April.
Players from PNG have spent the Australian summer based in both Melbourne and Canberra as part of the Brian Bell Future Stars Scholarship Program, and for the last week these players have come together for a number of training sessions at the MCG's indoor training facility.
The WCL Division 2 event is shaping up as the biggest tournament in the nations cricketing history and PNG opening bowler Hitolo Areni says that his team is not underestimating how difficult their task is going to be.
"After playing so much in Melbourne the hot weather of Dubai will be a huge challenge for us," he said. "It will be important for us to stay focused, put in a consistent effort and do the little things right."
To assist the team to acclimatise to the Middle Eastern conditions, they head to Brisbane on Sunday for a combination of matches and training before spending a few days in Singapore on the way to Dubai where they will take part in some 50 over matches against the Singapore national team, currently ranked eight places below PNG in world rankings.
"We have been preparing really well," said Areni. "The next few weeks are about ensuring that we do everything right to prepare our bodies for what lies ahead."
A lack of familiarity with the opposition will be another challenge for the side who has prepared under the watchful eyes of former Australian test players Andy Bichel and Greg Campbell, with Hong Kong the only of the five other teams in the tournament that PNG have played against in recent times.
"This will be a step above any level we have previously played," said PNG wicket keeper Jack Vare-Kevere. "But having never won (World Cricket League) Division 2 is a huge motivation for us and it would be fantastic for the development of cricket in PNG if we do well."
Both Areni and Vare-Kevere say their experiences playing and training with local clubs in Australia over summer has been of great benefit to the development of the national squad and they hope that it will provide the necessary improvement to make an impact in Dubai.
"It has been great to play and train in another country," said Vare-Kevere. "It has opened us up to different challenges allowing us to learn a lot and improve different areas of our game."
PNG will open their WCL Division 2 campaign on 8 April against Bermuda. Live scores and match reports will be available on www.icceap.com