Papua New Guinea to host Australian Indigenous XI

Papua New Guinea will be hosting the Australian Indigenous national team in the first week of July, with the teams competing in two one-day games and two Twenty20s, which will be played on turf wickets at Amini Park in Port Moresby.

“The Cricket Australia Australian Indigenous XI will be an exceptionally strong and experienced XI,” said Cricket PNG general manager Bill Leane. “They will be captained by Dan Christian, who recently made his Australian debut in a Twenty 20 International against the West Indies. He will be joined by current State-listed players Preston White, Josh Lalor, Worran Williams and an exciting group of young, highly skilled and experienced players.”

“The Australian Indigenous XI will be a formidable opponent and our national team will be challenged in every facet of the game,” said PNG national coaching director and former Australian fast bowler Andy Bichel. “Dan Christian is a super player, he made over 700 runs as Captain on the Australian Indigenous Tour of England.

“He potentially could be going to the ICC T20 World Cup at the end of April. Preston White is playing in the future Tours competition and Josh Lalor is playing great cricket for the Blues.

“The PNG Barramundis will field a full strength side with all of our 14 Brian Bell Future Stars players back in PNG after their scholarships end in March in Australia and New Zealand,” added Bichel. “This means it really will be .game on.for our boys as only the fittest, most in form and hungriest will be selected.

“The Barramundis will be playing for the opportunity to win our first ever home international series on turf plus creating an opportunity to be selected to represent PNG in our 2011 World Cup qualifying campaign. Having a turf wicket in PNG will also be big news and it must be said that it plays a huge part in our future development.”