The former New Zealand international Dipak Patel has been appointed the first ever full-time coach of the Papua New Guinea cricket team.
Patel says he only became aware of the vacancy in the past couple of weeks and is excited about the opportunity to work with professional, international players on a day to day basis.
The move to a full-time coach was borne out of a players review, which recommended a live-in mentor that didn't just fly in and out of the Pacific Island nation for a few weeks at a time.
Dipak Patel says there is no shortage of talent in the Barramundi's team and says, after achieving ODI status earlier this year, the sky is the limit.
Patel's first coaching assignment will be the South Australian Premier League in September, while he will also work with the PNG women's and under-19 teams.
