Big year in PNG cricket continues with U/19 World Cup mission

The governing body of world cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC), has applauded the on field progress made by PNG Cricket in the past 12 months, and hopes this can now continue with the Youth and Senior Cricket World Cup's being held in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

"It has been a substantial year for PNG Cricket, and we hope this is the start of bigger and better things to come," said ICC Development Officer, and PNG Cricket High Performance Coordinator, Tim Anderson.

Anderson, speaking from the ICC's Melbourne office, will arrive in Port Moresby on Thursday for a National Under 19 Squad Training Camp. Following this camp, the PNG U/19 team will be selected to compete in a World Cup Qualifying tournament, to be held in Namibia, in October.

This event will involve eight countries from the ICC's East Asia - Pacific (EAP) and African Regions, including Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania, Fiji and PNG. If PNG finish first or second in this tournament, they will qualify for the 2004 ICC Youth World Cup that will take place in Bangladesh, in February.

The PNG Cricket Board and the ICC EAP Development Program, embarked on a dedicated High Performance program in April 2002, that aimed to improve the standard of PNG's elite players and coaches. Benefits stemming from the instigation of this program have included the appointment of Anderson as PNG Cricket's High Performance Coordinator, access to several expert coaches from Australia to assist with elite player training, and invitations for PNG players and coaches to visit the prestigious Australian Cricket Academy.

A further bonus to the High Performance Program has been the recently established cricket development partnership between PNG and Queensland Cricket.

The following outlines some of PNG Cricket's achievements since the High Performance Program commenced:

"The desire of PNG's elite players and coaches to learn and improve themselves over the past year has been the prime reason for these achievements," Anderson said.

"Everybody involved in the program has been tested and challenged many times during this process, and I commend both the players and coaches for accepting these challenges with enthusiasm, and then overcoming them. It is this type of attitude that breeds a culture of success," added the former Australian U/19 captain.

Excitingly there is more to come for PNG Cricket, with Youth and Senior World Cup's now within the sights of the countries elite players. Qualifying for the 2004 youth event is certainly a realistic goal, and while the 2007 ICC senior World Cup may seem a long time away, the first of a two stage qualification series for this event will be held in early 2005.

"It is the ICC's goal to give developing cricket countries the opportunity to play in the Senior and Youth World Cup's, and by participating in qualifying events over the next two years, PNG will be given every chance to participate at that level," said Anderson.

"Following on from great improvements in the past year, both players and coaches will now have a responsibility to refocus their goals, and aim for success on a global, as opposed to regional, stage."

Without doubt, it has been a ground breaking year for PNG Cricket, however with new and exciting challenges ahead, constant improvement will be required for continual success to be achieved.