Papua New Guinea Barramundi’s newest recruit, Aue Oru, is soaking up an unforgettable experience in his cricket career following his debut at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia Pacific Sub-Regional Qualifiers in Sano, Japan.

The 23-year-old from Pari Village in the Motu Koitabu area of the nation’s capital is the first in his family to reach the highest level of cricket in PNG.

A proud product of Cricket PNG’s children’s development program, Liklik Kriket, Oru said it helped develop his interest in the sport.

“I had the opportunity to participate in the ‘Liklik Kriket’ program when Cricket PNG came to our village,” he said.

“I was 13 years old at the time, and that’s where my interest grew to continue further in the program and into local competitions.”

Specialising as a medium-fast bowler and right-hand batter, Oru was inspired by former PNG Barramundi Norman Vanua and his style of bowling and batting while growing up.

However, this is not the first time he has represented PNG.

Prior to making his Barramundis debut last month, Oru represented the country in the PNG Under-19 Garamuts squad.

“My first time representing PNG was during the 2022 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in the West Indies. I was determined to work extra hard and move further up the ranks to be in the Barras team,” he said.

Four years later, that dream became a reality. Oru was named in the national team earlier this year following a successful campaign in the Boroko Motors T20 Smash, the country’s premier domestic cricket competition.

“When I got called up after T20 Smash tournament in Port Moresby for the EAP Qualifiers in Japan, I was in shock, lost for words that I made it. This meant I get to play alongside some of our veterans and learn from them,” said Oru.

When Oru was named in the opening fixture against South Korea, he had one mission: to remain calm and play the brand of cricket that had brought him success at Amini Park.

He stunned the tournament when he came on to bowl in the third over and claimed three of South Korea’s first four wickets.

“I was shocked that actually happened, all I wanted was to show the style of cricket played in PNG, the pace, the speed and technique in bowling, but to take out three wickets in one over will definitely be a debut match to remember.”

Another highlight of the tour was taking four wickets against Indonesia.

“Playing at this level and rubbing shoulders with veterans like Assad Vala, Tony Ura, Sese Bau, to name a few, is still a pinch-me moment,” he said.

PNG went on to win the EAP Sub-Regional Qualifiers after the Super Six stage, finishing ahead of hosts Japan, Samoa, Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Indonesia. A total of nine countries competed at the tournament, including Fiji, South Korea and the Philippines.

Following the successful campaign in Japan, Barramundis Head Coach Tim McCaskill praised the team’s performance despite the loss to hosts Japan in their final match.

“Very happy with how the team performed, and the aim at the start of the tournament was to win it; we did that, which was great. 

“We would have liked to be clinical and win all games; losing the last game was disappointing, but our performances in earlier games gave us a net run rate buffer that was to our advantage.”

Experiencing senior international cricket for the first time is a steep learning curve, but McCaskill said Aue Oru, Ryan Ani and Gaba Frank left the tournament as better players, with their energy and enthusiasm allowing them to quickly integrate into the team culture.

“Having seen Aue in the Boroko Motors T20 Smash, we knew that he had pace and some handy variations, so it was no surprise to us that he performed strongly. He is a strong-bodied bustling type and hits the wicket hard, so looking forward to his ongoing improvement.”

Meanwhile, the PNG Barras have returned to training while awaiting confirmation of their next international assignment.

“At this stage, we have no understanding of the next stage; we are waiting on updates from the ICC on what that looks like. 

“We have no control over decision; however, winning the tournament provides certainty that we are in the next round of qualifiers.”

Original Link: https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/png-cricketer-aue-oru-embraces-opportunity-with-the-barras/106828834