Papua New Guinea cricket team set to face hosts Uganda in international friendlies

KAMPALA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) — Papua New Guinea’s national cricket team has arrived in Uganda for a series of international friendly matches.

Coached by former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu, the Papua New Guinea team, also known as the Barramundis, arrived on Sunday and had their first training session on Monday.

“We are very happy to be in Uganda to play some friendly matches. We played and lost to Uganda in the T20 World Cup in West Indies and it will be nice to face them in a 50-over series,” Taibu told Xinhua on Monday.

All four international matches between Uganda Cricket Cranes and Papua New Guinea will be played at the Entebbe Cricket Oval.

Denis Musali, the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) Head of Communications and Marketing, noted that the friendlies come at an opportune time as the team prepares for the first leg of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Challenge League B scheduled for November this year.

“These matches come at a very opportune time as they will give the technical bench, led by coach Abhay Sharma, an opportunity to test different players,” Musali added.

The ICC Challenge League B will feature Uganda, Tanzania, Italy, Hong Kong, China, Bahrain and Singapore, with teams playing 15 matches over three rounds scheduled between 2024 and 2026.

The Papua New Guinea team will also use their visit to Uganda to prepare for their Challenge League A first leg in Kenya, which kicks off later this month.