PNG lifts World Cup preparations with the service of former Zimbabwe coach

Papua New Guinea Barramundis have boosted their ICC T20 World Cup campaign with the inclusion of former West Indies cricketer and Trinidadian all-rounder Phil Simmons as part of their coaching staff.

The PNG Barramundis are hoping to grasp some invaluable expertise from the specialist coach, given his experience of over forty years.

Simmons has coached the national teams of Zimbabwe, India, West Indies and more recently Afghanistan along with several stints at the domestic scenes.

His inclusion as a consultant coach and as a native would potentially help the Barramundis acclimatize to the environment in the Caribbean.

“How I put across my experience is not just playing in world cups but playing in the Caribbean and the things that we should be looking at to make sure we do it right in the Caribbean and especially the venues that we play at,” Simmons said of his allegiance with PNG.

“As a player internationally, for fourteen years and then as an international coach for eighteen years it’s been a long time in the game.”

The PNG Barramundis arrived in the West Indies over the weekend in preparation for the world cup meet.

After the exhausting four-day travel, the team have now settled into St Kitts where they will be based for the initial round of training sessions and practice matches.

“Their energy is unbelievable,” the former West Indies coach said of the PNG men.

“Their warm ups alone yesterday, got me tired. The guys look like they have settled in really well.

“Yesterday in training we started to get out in the middle of their game so they started on some of the things they have to do here in the Caribbean and it’s nice to see the energy that’s among this squad.

“I’ve known the head coach [Tatenda Taibu] for a long time and he’s always energetic, there is always a lot of energy, but the players seem to be pushing him where that is not so and I like that atmosphere in the team, I like the liveliness in the team.”

PNG played a practice match against Canada over the weekend with additional trials scheduled throughout the week as the team adapt to the playing pitch.