10 players to watch in ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017

#10 Ravini Oa (PNG)

Ravini Oa picked up seven wickets in Papua New Guinea’s successful East Asia Pacific Region Qualifier campaign, doing her bit in the side staying undefeated. The vice-captain’s 3 for 19 in the game against Samoa sealed her team’s spot for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017 in Sri Lanka.

Oa’s mother lives in Townsville, Queensland, but that is not Oa’s only connect to Australia. As an ICC and WBBL rookie, she had a chance to shadow the Adelaide Strikers squad during the 2016-17 Women’s Big Bash League.

She also plays in Australia outside of the WBBL. She was part of the East Asia Pacific Team, which included her colleagues from the Papua New Guinea national side, along with players from Japan and Samoa. The team defended its Australian Country Cricket Championship title this year.

Oa expects her experience to come in handy as PNG aims to make it to the Super Six stage and earn One-Day International status.

Back home in Hanuabada, PNG, she has a husband and two-year-old son, also plays netball, and doesn’t bat an eyelid about balancing the various aspects of her life.