T20 World Cup 2024: Papua New Guinea World Cup squad announced

Papua New Guinea have appointed Assad Vala and Charles Amini as the captain and Vice-captain of the National team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. 

This will be the Island Nation's second-ever feature in a T20 World Cup edition with their previous one coming during the 2021 edition in UAE. Back then too, Assad Vala had led Papua New Guinea but as expected, they were knocked out of the group stages itself after losing 3 of their Group B matches against Scotland, Bangladesh, and Oman. 

Papua New Guinea's squad composition led by Assad Vala

The Papua New Guinea will be heading to the USA and West Indies for the T20 World Cup 2024 with quite a similar squad which played the 2021 edition. From the 15-man squad, 10 players are those who represented the nation in their maiden appearance at an ICC event. 

There will be high expectations from PNG this time around under the captaincy of Assad Vala, who is the leading run-scorer of the nation in one-day cricket. His vice-captain Charles Amini is PNG's 3rd highest run scorer. 

While Assad Vala has scored 2003 runs at a 30.81 average from 2014 to 2023, Amini has amassed 1128 runs at an average of 23.50. In terms of wickets, Vala is PNG's 3rd highest wicket-taker with 55 wickets while Amini is the 5th highest with 32 wickets. 

Other than those two, PNG's highest run-scorer in T20 internationals - Tony Ura finds himself in the squad. On the bowling front, Norman Vanua, the country's highest wicket-taker with 63 wickets also finds himself in the squad. Some other bright names such as Sese Bau, Jack Gardner, Chad Soper, and Kiplin Doriga among others are also in the squad. 

Papua New Guinea are headed into the 20-team ICC T20 World Cup 2024 after finishing on top of the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier last year. Therein, PNG claimed 6 victories on the trot against Japan, Vanuatu, and the Philippines. They also did well in the recent T20I series in Malaysia, winning by 2-0 before featuring in a Tri-series against Nepal and Hong Kong. 

But there's no denying that they have been placed into a very tough Group. Drawn in Group C, Papua New Guinea will face hosts West Indies, 2021 runners-up New Zealand, the rising Afghanistan team, and minnows like Uganda. 

Papua New Guinea's squad and schedule for the T20 World Cup 

PNG will begin their campaign with a clash against West Indies on June 2nd at Guyana before taking on Uganda at the same venue on the 5th of June. Their final two group games will see them go against Afghanistan on 13th June and New Zealand on 17th June at Trinidad. 

PNG's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Tony Ura, Sese Bau, Assad Vala (C), Lega Siaka, Charles Amini (VC), Hiri Hiri, Hila Vare, Chad Soper, Kiplin Doriga, Norman Vanua, Kabua Morea, Alei Nao, John Kariko, Jack Gardner and Semo Kamea