Papua New Guinea is taking part in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin on June 1. They qualified for the competition through the East Asia Pacific Qualifiers, and they will face off against the co-hosts, the West Indies, for the first time.
As a “specialist coach” for the 2019 T20 World Cup, Phil Simmons, the former head coach of the West Indies, has joined Papua New Guinea. During his second spell with the team, which lasted until the team’s group stage exit in the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022, Simmons led the Caribbeans to victory in the T20 title in 2016 in India.
On the other hand, Simmons has been coaching the Karachi Kings, LA Knight Riders, and Trinidad Knight Riders in cricket franchises. He will help out head coach Tatenda Taibu, a former wicketkeeper and captain of Zimbabwe, in the PNG dugout. As a result of his experience coaching in the region, Simmons was appointed, according to a Cricket PNG announcement, and he is looking forward to spending meaningful time with the PNG cricketers.
“I’m a consultant coach here, and I’ll be talking about how I apply my knowledge from playing in the Caribbean as well as World Cups, and what we should be considering to make sure we do it correctly there, particularly at the sites where we play. It’s been a lengthy career in the game, having played internationally for fourteen years and then coaching internationally for eighteen. Coming home is always a wonderful feeling, whether it’s to any portion of the West Indies. You are aware of this place’s beauty. I can’t wait to get to Trinidad, which is my home.”I was fatigued just from their warm-up yesterday; their enthusiasm is amazing. It appears the boys have made a great adjustment. Longtime friend of mine, the head coach, is always a gregarious guy. The team environment is one that I enjoy, Simmons added. “There is always a lot of energy, but the players seem to be pushing him where that is not so.”Along with co-hosts West Indies, New Zealand, Uganda, and Afghanistan, PNG has been placed in Group C of the T20 World Cup. In Trinidad and Tobago, they will play official warm-up matches on May 27 and May 30, respectively, against Oman and Namibia.
