Papua New Guinea’s next generation of cricketing stars will benefit from Australian expertise with high performance coaches.
Kelly Applebee and Megan Pauwels will work with the PNG U19 women’s team, the Siales, and other Pacific teams during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under 19 T20 World Cup Qualifiers being held in Port Moresby from 8-14 April.
Supported by the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports, both coaches bring extensive experience from Australia’s elite domestic system, having represented Victoria in the Women’s National Cricket League and contributing to high-performance environments over many years.
Their involvement will accelerate coach development and provide hands-on mentorship within a live tournament setting – enhancing capability, confidence, and long-term pathways for emerging female coaches across the region.
In a further boost for PNG cricket, the Australian Government will also be supporting the participation of the national men’s team, the Barramundis, in the Australian National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC) from 14-18 April.
The tournament brings together leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from across Australia, and the Barramundis’ involvement as an invitational team provides a unique platform for competitive match play, cultural connection, and performance benchmarking in a high-quality tournament setting.
This experience will play a critical role in the Barramundis’ preparation for upcoming international commitments, including the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Japan, by enhancing match readiness, building cohesion, and reinforcing the standards required to compete successfully at the international level.
Speaking at the ICC U19 T20 World Cup Qualifiers opening reception in Port Moresby, Australian High Commission’s Acting Minister-Counsellor, Sally Kirby, highlighted cricket’s role in further strengthening Australia and PNG’s close sporting ties.
“The Australian Government is proud to partner with Cricket Australia and Cricket PNG to provide PNG cricketers with access to high-performance coaching and competition through PacificAus Sports. These initiatives reflect the strength of Australia’s partnership with PNG and the Pacific, and our shared belief in the power of sport to build leaders, create pathways, and strengthen communities.”
Looking ahead, the second iteration of the PacificAus Sports Cricket Invitational is scheduled to be held in Vanuatu in early June, with PNG’s national women’s side, the Lewas, looking to defend their title after taking out the inaugural tournament in Port Moresby last year.
ENDS
From left to right: Australian High Performance Coach Kelly Applebee, Barramundis Captain Assadollah Vala, Australian High Performance Coach Megan Pauwels, Cricket PNG Chairman Michael Harrison, Australian High Commission representatives Sally Kirby and Sam Ghirardello, and Lewas Captain Brenda Tau, at the ICC U19 T20 World Cup Qualifiers opening reception. (Photo Credit: Cricket PNG).
For further information, including access to related materials, please contact the Australian High Commission media team: +675 7090 0100