By PETER PUSAL

CRICKET development and talent identification will be the focus of Rodney Maha’s trip to Lae today.

The former Papua New Guinea representative, who is Cricket PNG’s talent identification manager, will be in the Morobe capital thanks to sponsor Swire Shipping on a mission to survey the talent and pencil in prospects for the Under-19 squad.

“Our focus will be on the juniors, building up new juniors to push for the next World Cup. Most of my work will be directed at that area – juniors,” Maha said.

Maha will spend three days (Wed-Fri) conducting coaching clinics and talent identification programmes and then spend two days (Sat-Sun) watching Lae Cricket Association matches.

The 40-year-old, who has held several positions from development officer to regional manager and then even a stint as women’s national coach in his 10 years with CPNG, said he was committed to the cause of spreading cricket’s message to centres outside of its stronghold in the National Capital District and Central.

“I’ve been to probably most of the centres, about six of them like Alotau, Port Moresby obviously, Lae, Kimbe, Popondetta, Hagen and Goroka.

“I’ll visiting the Highlands later this year. Western Highlands and Eastern Highlands and we’ll go to Southern Highlands at some point because they will host the PNG Games next year.”

But Maha’s work does not just involve identifying talent but also creating “links” for those players to be developed by competent coaching and to play in good competitions.

“In regards to talent ID in the other regions, there is talent there. It’s just trying to link this talent with coaching and competitions. We have talent in the schools and villages, and we’re just trying to 1get them to play in competitions.”

“During my trips I am also trying my best to link our seniors there because there is a big gap between Port Moresby and the outside regions. I will also work with women’s teams and men’s and junior teams.”

Maha is appreciative of the fact that building the sport in the other centres will be huge task especially when it comes to improving the standard of the game in places outside Port Moresby. “Right now to be honest, there is a big gap. A lot needs to be done to bring up the rest of the country with Moresby and that’s what I’m working at, that’s what I’m committed to,” Maha said.

Maha said facilities was one of the biggest problems facing CPNG in its attempts to develop the sport nationwide.

“Facilities and coaching are the two big issues we are facing. We need coaches to teach the game and we need fields and venues to play at.”

CPNG general manager Lee McDowell added that Maha’s role covered a wide range of responsibilities and that they had confidence in their man to get the job done.

“Rodney is a very important link between the CPNG office and all the regions,” McDowell said.

“Through Swire Shipping, they’ve sponsored his trips around the country to look at raw talent in the other regions.

“From our point of view we have every confidence that Rodney has the skills to identify the talent and get them into coaching programmes, develop coaches up there (Lae) and to help them along while they’re in the regions and then gradually as they get older we want to get them down into the national systems with U17s, U19s for the boys and the Lewas (women),” McDowell said.

“It’s important for us that we find the best talent around the country and that’s what we’ve given Rodney the duty in ID and through national coach Joe Dawes, they’ve come up with key performance indicators that we can put in place in these regions so that the cricketers up there have something to strive for to get in front of Rodney and then get in front of the national coaches down in Amini Park.”

Maha said improving competitions and their related aspects would give more Papua New Guineans a chance to play cricket and extract enjoyment and values from it.

“We’re trying to make sure we get this stuff right and at the moment we have some facility development coming up so that will really help especially in the regions outside of Port Moresby,” Maha said.

McDowell said CPNG was determined to start the process and see it progress over the following years.

“We’re investing a lot of money in putting facilities around the country and we want all Papua New Guineans to enjoy the game,” the Australian said.

“I suppose the message we want to get out there is that we’ve got Rodney out there looking for talent and that we’re not just a one-province sport but a national one — but they’ve got to reach the standards.”