PNG skipper Assad Valla expressed his excitement at the opportunity to face off against cricket’s powerhouse nations in the upcoming tournament. Valla’s squad had also participated in the 2021 T20 World Cup, but he believes this year’s team is more experienced and better prepared.
“I think there’s more experience in the team. The preparation has been different to the last one we went to, as it was held during the COVID,” Valla noted. “So, we didn’t play any international cricket over 12 to 18 months and just going to the World Cup. But there’s no excuses as the other teams went through the same phase as well.”
The PNG skipper is optimistic about his team’s chances, citing the changes in coaching staff and a more settled squad compared to the previous World Cup.
“For us, I think the experience we gained from that [tournament], having a different coaching staff, and I think having a more settled team than the one we had last time, so I’m really happy [with] the squad we have assembled for this tournament,” he elaborated.
PNG, West Indies, and New Zealand are all part of Group C, along with Afghanistan and Uganda, in the upcoming competition.
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