Cricket

Papua New Guinea's dismal batting performance against Uganda in the T20 World Cup 2024 has left captain Assad Vala lamenting the team's inability to adjust to the Providence Stadium pitch. PNG's paltry total of 77, their lowest in T20Is, proved insufficient as Uganda secured a comfortable victory.Vala expressed disappointment with the team's soft dismissals, which he attributed to a lack of adaptability. "We didn't do as we planned," he said. "We had a lot of soft dismissals. I think anything just over 100 was a good score on that wicket."Despite the batting woes, Vala praised the bowlers for their early efforts, which reduced Uganda to 6 for 3. However, Riazat Ali Shah and Juma Miyagi's 35-run partnership stabilized the Uganda innings, with Riazat benefiting from a dropped catch by Charles Amini.Vala acknowledged the missed opportunities and the need for improvement in the upcoming matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand. "We created the opportunities at the same time. When we need to take those chances, I don't know what to say anymore," he said.The PNG captain emphasized the importance of maintaining energy and determination against stronger opponents. "We need to be up for that," he said. "We don't get the opportunity to play against those teams so when the opportunity is in front of us, we need to make the best of it."Vala's words reflect the team's need to regroup and find their rhythm in the remaining matches. With the challenges ahead, PNG will need to address their batting deficiencies and capitalize on their bowling strengths to salvage their campaign.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has named Assad Vala as their captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. Vala, who also led the team in 2021, will be assisted by allrounder Charles Amini as vice-captain.Ten of the 15 players selected for the 2024 event were part of the squad in 2021. Jack Gardner, who was a reserve three years ago, has now been included in the main squad.PNG qualified for this year's T20 World Cup by topping the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in 2023, where they won all six of their matches. They enter the tournament on the back of a 2-0 series win against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, which came immediately after they won a T20I tri-series also featuring Nepal and Hong Kong.PNG will start their World Cup campaign against co-hosts West Indies in Guyana on June 2. They are part of Group C, which also includes Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Uganda.Vala expressed optimism about the team's chances in the tournament. "The energy has been great within the team," he said. "For some of the boys who went to the last T20 World Cup, it's a different feeling now with a lot of the training, because the last time was during Covid and the preparation wasn't as good as what we're going through now. I am looking forward to this event because I know we are going to do well."