The Vanuatu Cricket Association has announced the team to represent the country in round 2 of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Challenge League A from 16-26 March in Malaysia.
The VCA is looking forward to sending the team to Malaysia again in March to compete following the appointment of Simon Keen as the new High Performance Manager and National Men’s Head Coach.
Keen is looking forward to going on his first tournament with the team.
“I am extremely pleased and excited about how the team is shaping up in terms of preparations and training. We have been preparing for the Malaysian conditions using our hybrid pitch with a lot of different game scenarios and a huge focus on playing spin. We have also done a lot of work around strategies and the mindset required to do well against spin and in a match,” he said.
“A few boys have been given slightly different roles compared to past tours which I am excited to see. Wesley who was mostly just a bowler in previous tournaments will be doing an important job with the bat and you may see Joshua who is the opening batsmen doing a job with ball in hand which is exciting.”
“Going into the tournament with all these changes, there are no extreme expectations other than hoping the boys play with a little bit of freedom and show the world how good they can be because there is some special talent all the way through the squad. I know if they can do this the results will take care of themselves,” Keen concluded.
Team;
Nalin Nipiko (Captain), Jonathon Dunn, Jamal Vira, Callum Blake, Apolinaire Stephen,Andrew Mansale, Patrick Matautaava (VC), Williamsing Nalisa, Joshua Rasu, Wesley Viraliliu, Clement Tommy, Wolford Kalworai, Simpson Obed, Junior Kaltapau