Gaudi reflects on cricket journey ahead of Twenty-20 Word Cup

REMINISCING his earlier days in cricket, Kumul Petroleum Papua New Guinea Barramundis opening batsman Gaudi Toka has come a long way.
Joining club cricket, he kicked off his sporting life as a teenager at the Poreporena club, moving on to Raukele and then Pari.
It was his dad and former PNG cricketer Toka Gaudi that gave him that head start.
Being the first in the family, it was only fitting that Toka followed in his dad’s footsteps and do something he enjoyed – playing cricket.
The 25-year-old fondly remembers his first away tour in Fiji, representing the country in the PNG Under-17 side in 2012.
Toka looks back on that day with a sense of elation, saying on the team’s return, his community in Hanuabada village looked up to them with pride.
And they even got great advice and tips from the village’s Barramundis legends.
Apart from family, Toka gets inspiration from former Australian cricketer Michael Hussey.
“There are three formats in cricket and Hussey has played all of them,” he said.
Toka said in the last few weeks before departing PNG, he had been training very hard, recalibrating and he had received good feedback from his coaches and teammates as he aimed to emulate his role model, Hussey.
Being a typical coastal bloke, he enjoys the sun, sand and sea.
Toka loves trolling for tuna, playing volleyball and cooling off in the sea.
He said volleyball and swimming followed right after cricket as his favourite sports. But the Central man, humbly expresses his gratitude to the national team and the sport itself.
Toka said the sport had truly changed his life, especially for him being a school dropout.
“If you’re thinking of taking up cricket, be sure to give it your all,” he said.
Toka’s message to PNG is to show its full support.
He said the Barras would appreciate support from all over the country, not just from Port Moresby and Central.