Papua New Guinea's cricketers face another four months before their next on-field engagement.
The Barramundis recently returned home from a month-long tour of the United Arab Emirates: losing the one day series 2-1, the four-day Intercontinental Cup match by nine wickets and were being swept 3-0 in the Twenty20 internationals.
PNG celebrate a wicket during the tour of the UAE. Photo: PNG Cricket
Prior to that their last hit-outs were a four-match one-day tour in Australia in February and three matches against Hong Kong in November.
Head coach Dipak Patel said, unfortunately, a scarcity matches is not a new problem.
"They're forever training for anything between two to three months and then suddenly we have to go into competitive mode," he said.
"And it's very hard to go from training straight into competitive mode - it takes us a few games to get ourselves out of that training regime and get into the competitive side.
"We're trying to replicate that by playing a lot more games amongst ourselves, with our 'A' team and under 19 boys, but it's still not the same as playing against international teams."
PNG Barramundis coach Dipak Patel. Photo: Cricket PNG
Dipak Patel said the Barramundis are scheduled to play against Australia's six state teams from the end of August.
PNG also have two rounds of the World Cricket League and Intercontinental Cup Championship still to play, at home against Scotland and away to Hong Kong, but dates are yet to be confirmed.
