Pacifica Cup: Tailor made format for next year's tournament ensures competitive matches

The disparate strengths of the various Pacific countries has been acknowledged in the devising of the format for next year's Pacifica Cup tournament in Apia, Samoa.

Following some lopsided encounters in the inaugural Pacifica Cup tournament this year in New Zealand, the region's two Associate members, Fiji and Papua New Guinea are placed in Group A while the region's Affiliate members, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu are in Group B with the Pacific's only 'New Territory' New Caledonia.

Fiji and Papua New Guinea will play each other three times while the teams in Group B play each other once.

In one of two significant aspects of the draw intended to aid the development of the Affiliate members, the highest placed Group B team will play the winner of the three game Fiji-PNG series in the tournament final.

The International Cricket Council's East Asia Pacific Regional Development Manager, Matthew Kennedy, said both Fiji and Papua New Guinea were comfortable with the format which means one will miss the final and finish third at best.

"Neither Fiji or PNG will be disadvantaged when it comes to their ICC ranking by not playing in the final," Kennedy said this week.

In another boost to the Affiliates, the top two placed Affiliates from this year's Pacifica Cup, Tonga and Cook Islands, have been each been given non-tournament games against Fiji and Papua New Guinea respectively.