Papua New Guinea has announced its squad for the upcoming ICC event, the T20 World Cup 2021. Regular skipper Assad Vala will lead the side in the qualifiers which begins on October 17 in Oman. This will be the country’s first ICC tournament.
Vala and co. are part of Group B which includes the hosts Oman, Scotland, and firm favourites Bangladesh. They performed very well in the lead-up to the qualifiers, finishing second in the first qualifiers. They managed to win five out of six games, only losing to Scotland.
The road ahead is an extremely tough one for the side. In order to qualify for the Super-12 stage, they will have to play out of their skins. Considering Bangladesh is in peak form at the moment, at least in the shortest format, PNG needs to bring their A-game forth.
“It’s the pinnacle of cricket, being able to play against the best” – Papua New Guinea captain Assad Vala
The skipper Assad Vala is excited about playing against the best of the lot in the T20 World Cup. He mentioned that his team is a well-oiled machine and there are no ‘superstars’, thereby depending on each and every player to contribute.
“There are no superstars in our 11 or 15. We are a well-drilled team, well-disciplined. We just rely on playing our roles and executing our skills to the best of our abilities.“
“To be able to finally qualify for one and participate in one of the World Cups is a dream come true for me, and speaking on behalf of all my teammates, it will be an honour for us. It’s the pinnacle of cricket, being able to play against the best in the world,” Vala was quoted as saying by India TV.
Papua New Guinea squad for T20 World Cup 2021: Assad Vala (c), Charles Amini, Hiri Hiri, Norman Vanua, Tony Ura, J. Gardner, J. Kila, Vagi Morea, Chad Soper, Lega Siaka, Damien Ravu, Nosaina Pokana, Gaudi Toka, Kiplin Doriga (wk), Sese Bau, Simon Atai
