Kamlesh Barjati
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- 26 May 2011
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Neil Harrison from the Japan Cricket Association and Lakani Oala from Cricket PNG have been given the honour of umpiring today's Pepsi ICC East-Asia Pacific Division 1 final between PNG and Vanuatu.
Harrison and Oala are no strangers to umpiring East-Asia Pacific events having been in the system for a number of years and the pair have continued the high standard of performance at this tournament.
For Oala to be given the nod to umpire the final in his home country is something he has been waiting for since his career began.
"I am excited to umpire a final on my home ground," he said. "It will be a very emotional day for me because I have waited for this day for a long time."
He also hopes that his appointment will assist the work he is already doing in PNG to develop future East-Asia Pacific Panel Umpires.
"I hope this helps our development as we currently have a lot of umpires showing up at senior games and with a couple of our panel umpires unavailable I hope achievements like this encourage them to come back in the future," he said.
Harrison has had a busy year having umpired global events such as World Cricket League Division 3, but says despite the prestige associated with umpiring major international events he is always proud to come "home" to East-Asia Pacific for their regional tournaments.
"It's obviously still a huge honour and really nice to come back and umpire in these sorts of places," said Harrison. "I don't always get the opportunity but the umpiring I always look forward to."
Harrison who was last in PNG in 2007 is amazed by the work that has gone into the facilities of Amini Park.
"When I was last in PNG, Amini Park was here but it was just a concrete track and there was nothing really to work with, but this has been an amazing development and I think PNG should be really proud of what they have achieved."
PNG and Vanuatu will play the final at 2pm whilst the third place play-off between Fiji and Samoa will start at 10am. Grant Johnston and Geoff Clelland representing the Vanuatu Cricket Associaiton will umpire the third place play-off.
http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/newsdetails.php?newsId=16187_1310008800
Harrison and Oala are no strangers to umpiring East-Asia Pacific events having been in the system for a number of years and the pair have continued the high standard of performance at this tournament.
For Oala to be given the nod to umpire the final in his home country is something he has been waiting for since his career began.
"I am excited to umpire a final on my home ground," he said. "It will be a very emotional day for me because I have waited for this day for a long time."
He also hopes that his appointment will assist the work he is already doing in PNG to develop future East-Asia Pacific Panel Umpires.
"I hope this helps our development as we currently have a lot of umpires showing up at senior games and with a couple of our panel umpires unavailable I hope achievements like this encourage them to come back in the future," he said.
Harrison has had a busy year having umpired global events such as World Cricket League Division 3, but says despite the prestige associated with umpiring major international events he is always proud to come "home" to East-Asia Pacific for their regional tournaments.
"It's obviously still a huge honour and really nice to come back and umpire in these sorts of places," said Harrison. "I don't always get the opportunity but the umpiring I always look forward to."
Harrison who was last in PNG in 2007 is amazed by the work that has gone into the facilities of Amini Park.
"When I was last in PNG, Amini Park was here but it was just a concrete track and there was nothing really to work with, but this has been an amazing development and I think PNG should be really proud of what they have achieved."
PNG and Vanuatu will play the final at 2pm whilst the third place play-off between Fiji and Samoa will start at 10am. Grant Johnston and Geoff Clelland representing the Vanuatu Cricket Associaiton will umpire the third place play-off.
http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/newsdetails.php?newsId=16187_1310008800
