New coach to be named

By SULI SULI
CRICKET Papua New Guinea (CPNG) will name a new head coach for the national men’s team in the coming weeks following the departure of Carl Sandris, according to an official.
CPNG acting general manager Lee McDowell said the board was deliberating on an appointment.
“The board will advertise and interview potential candidates for the coaching post,” he told The National on Tuesday.
“At the moment, we’ve got Mark Coles as the interim coach, assisted by John Ovia and Jack Vare.
“We also have Michael Dighton as a specialist coach, under the PacificAust sports programme.”
Coles, Ovia and Dighton are the potential candidates to lead the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited-sponsored PNG Barramundis.
“These three experienced coaches have been shortlisted,” McDowell said.
“Once the board completes the interview process, the long-term Barras coach will be named.
“The board wants to be very thorough in selecting the right person.
“Obviously, Sandri had lots of issues getting into the country during the Coronavirus period and it was unstable.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re very clear not only with the coach, but all the regulations they meet, so that they can be here fulltime and spend as much as time with the Barramundis and the academy sides.”
Meanwhile, the Barras are competing in the Cricket World Cup League Two series at Bava Park in Port Moresby.
They faced the United States in the opener.
The Assad Vala-captained side will face Namibia on Saturday.