Squad for Centre of Excellence announced

The 23-man Squad for the East Asia - Pacific (EAP) Squad Camp at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence (CBCE) in Brisbane from 7-18 November was announced in Melbourne today.

The EAP Squad Camp brings together the most talented cricketers from across the region and will involve intensive coaching, training and skill development under the tutelage of some of Australia's leading coaches in the first week with one day matches against Toowoomba and Queensland U19 and a two day fixture against Queensland U19 highlighting the second week.

Featuring the premier cricketers from the ICC's Associate and Affiliate countries in the East Asia - Pacific region, the squad includes 10 players from Papua New Guinea, four each from Fiji and Japan, two from Cook Islands and one each from Tonga, Vanuatu and Indonesia.

The squad has been selected to attend the Camp based on their performances at country and representative level over the past 12 months.

"The recent EAP Cricket Cup in Vanuatu had a number of outstanding individual performances which have been rewarded with selection in the Squad" commented ICC EAP Development Officer Martin Gleeson "All EAP countries have had recent tournament experience with PNG having had a particularly busy international schedule with the World Cup Qualifying Series in February, a tour to Townsville in May and the ICC Trophy in Ireland in July. This provides the selectors with an excellent base to look at players and judge their form."

At the end of the Camp, a 14-member team will be chosen to represent the EAP region at the Australian Country Cricket Championships (ACCC) to be staged in Mandurah, Western Australia in January.

"The ACCC involves the best country cricketers from around Australia" continued Mr Gleeson "The standard is akin to the leading Associate countries and the experience the players will gain from the camp and the tournament will really contribute to their personal development, and also help in the development of cricket across the region generally."

The 2005 EAP Squad is:

Munir Ahmad (Japan), Hitolo Areni (PNG), Jamie Brazier (PNG), Chris Brown (Cook Islands), Tetsuro Chino (Japan), Mahuru Dai (PNG), Rarua Dikana (PNG), Dunu Eliaba (Cook Islands), Toka Gaudi (PNG), Patrick Giles-Jones (Japan), Gimapau Keimelo (PNG), Imran Khan (Fiji), Tikoivanualevu Kida (Fiji), Masaomi Kobayashi (Japan), Simione Latu (Tonga), Andrew Mansale (Vanuatu), Neil Maxwell (Fiji), Ipi Morea (PNG), John Ovia (PNG), Chad Paull (Indonesia), Kitiano Tavo (Fiji), Arua Uda (PNG), Assad Vala (PNG).