Samoan Squad Full of International Experience

Tournament hosts Samoa will enter the Pepsi ICC East Asia-Pacific Division 2 Trophy as one of the teams to beat after confirming a host of players with experience playing in New Zealand will spearhead their attack when the tournament begins in two weeks.

Samoa currently has ten players competing in premier level cricket in Auckland as well as four young players involved in the Auckland Cricket Association / Samoa International Cricket Association high performance scholarship program.

With a number of these players set to join their locally based teammates in Apia, the host nation has high hopes that the final 11 to take the field will be a formidable outfit.

"Our team has worked hard over the last 16 months and we are here to win," said Samoan captain Ronnie Turner.

"The four young players (in the team) have made the most of their time in the high performance squad and are excelling in their bowling and batting."

While the high performance squad has been preparing in Auckland under the watchful eye of national coach and former Black Cap Murphy Sua, the rest of the Samoan players have spent the last three months preparing on the very grounds that the tournament will be played.

"In early March Sua travelled to Samoa to train the locally based members of the team and he was impressed by the development of the younger players," said Turner. "We are all working very hard in the nets and game situations as well as putting extra effort in on the fitness side of things."

One of the major strengths of the Samoan team is the abundance of potential match winners in the lineup with none more important than Fa'sao Mulivai who at the last tournament in 2009 averaged 36.33 with the bat and 29.00 with the ball.

"Fa'sao is a match winner," said Turner. "He can turn a game in a matter of an over whether it is with the bat or ball which will be crucial in the 20/20 format."

Well and truly aware that being tournament hosts has its advantages; it also adds a little bit of extra pressure to the team, and Turner is not prepared to take any match lightly.

"We respect every team we play and with such a prize on the line for this tournament, I'm sure everyone will be looking to perform to the best of their ability."