The final month of preparation is underway for Fiji’s under-19 cricket team, before they contest the International Cricket Council (ICC) East Asia Pacific region (EAP) U19 Championships next month.
The 14-man travelling squad has now assembled in Suva and began official training on Wednesday. The recent Suva weather has provided a challenge for training sessions, with sessions alternating between the nets, the pitch and the Old National Gymnasium. In their final month of training, the squad will focus on match practice, game scenarios and building the players’ knowledge of the game.
Cricket Fiji’s High Performance Manager, Joe Rika, believes that despite naming an incredibly young squad for the U19 Championships (the average player age is 17) the squad has the depth to perform well.
“This is part of our strategy to create a larger pool of players for the High Performance Program,” Rika said. “We have a very young squad with a lot of potential. If the boys stick to their strengths (in Queensland) we will do well.”
“Cricket Fiji’s future is in good hands with the crop of players we have.”
The ICC EAP U19 Championships will be hosted by the Maroochydore Cricket Club on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, from July 1-5.
CRICKET FIJI