5 Papua New Guinea players to watch out for in T20 World Cup 2024 ft. Assad Vala
Papua New Guinea (PNG) are all set to make their second appearance in T20 World Cups. They qualified for the tournament by emerging as the East Asia-Pacific regional 2023 champion.
PNG are coming into the showpiece event with good enough T20I matches on their hands. They secured a victory in the Hong Kong Men's T20I Series 2023/24, while drawing the series against Malaysia and Nepal, but lost against Oman.
The PNG side will be led by the experienced batting all-rounder, Assad Vala in the showpiece event. They will kickstart their campaign against West Indies on Sunday in Guyana.
On that note, let's take a look at the five PNG players to look out for in T20 World Cup 2024.
#1 Kabua Morea
Left-arm medium pacer Kabua Morea has picked up 32 wickets in 19 T20Is, with the best figures of 5/9. He has a terrific average of 14.90, which is quite rare in the shortest format.
In his last T20I WC appearance, Morea was the standout bowler, taking six wickets in three games at an economy of 7.50.
#2 Charles Amini
The left-hand batter and an useful spinner will play a key role for PNG in T20 World Cup 2024. He ranks third on the batting list (994) and second on the bowling charts (47) for the team in the shortest format.
In March this year, Amini produced a scintallating knock of 91* off 53 balls against Malyasia. He then followed it by finishing with figures of 3/18 to help PNG secure a 77-run victory. It will be interesting to see if his experience can help the team do well in the tournament.
#3 Assad Vala
The most important player of this side, Assad Vala has displayed consistency with the bat and is a handy option with the ball as well. He has accumulated 1,244 runs (second-highest) and scalped 34 wickets (third-most) for PNG in 59 T20Is.
In the last edition, Vala returned as the best batter for Uganda in T20 WC 2021 with 80 runs in three appearances at a strike rate of 126.98. He top-scored with 56 off 43 against Oman. Certainly, with experience and fine performance under his belt, Vala will be a key player for the PNG team.
#4 Sese Bau
The middle-order batter and a handy spinner, Sese Bau has 891 runs and 14 wickets in 52 T20Is. In T20 WC 2021, he garnered 44 runs in three innings.
He provided an all-round performance in PNG's recent triumph at Hong Kong Men's T20I Series 2023/24, scoring 82 runs and securing four wickets.
#5 Tony Ura
Ura is the top-scorer for the PNG team in T20Is, with 1,618 runs in 55 innings at a strike rate of 156.02. His top score of 107* off 60 came against Phillippines in 2019.
The right-handed batter was exceptional in Hong Kong Men's T20I Series 2023/24, garnering 125 runs in three innings at an average of 62.50. He was the leading run-scorer in the competition, and slammed 61 off 37 against Nepal in the final, showcasing his ability to withstand pressure.