The young but experienced team of Hebou PNG Barramundis will be leaving for Brisbane on Wednesday, August 15th.
The team is prepared to face off against fellow Pacific islanders in the ICC World T20 East-Asia-Pacific (EAP) Qualifier.
Among the 14-man team, Steven Eno, an experienced club batsmen and wicket keeper, will be debuting.
And just like a good number of his colleagues, Eno, from Hanuabada, started playing cricket at a young age.
“I started learning cricket in the village. From there I joined the Port Moresby Cricket Association then from there I represented the under 19 in the world cup qualifier in Canada. That was in 2009,” he said.
In September 2009, PNG booked their ticket to the 2010 ICC Under-19 World Cup after making light work of Vanuatu.
However, after the 2010 world cup in New Zealand, Eno decided to take a break from representative cricket.
But his love for the game kept him near the Amini Park as he maintained his ties with his local club and participated in the Port Moresby competitions.
“I played so many years to achieve this,” Eno stated.
“I work for PIH, in the hospital. When I heard that I was selected in the Barramundis, I was shocked,” he said with a shy smile.
Eno has an opportunity to become the 119th Barramundis to receive a “Baggy Black” Cap if he manages to makes his debut in Fiji.
The team leaves for Brisbane tomorrow, where they will be based for five days there before flying to Fiji.
Suva will play host to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu, with the tournament set to commence on August 25th.
(Steven Eno)