Assad Vala
{{short description|Papua New Guinean cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Assad Vala
| image =
| country = Papua New Guinea
| fullname = Asadollah Vala
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|8|5|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| death_date =
| death_place =
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| heightm =
| batting = Left-handed
| bowling = Right-arm off break
| family = Pauke Siaka (wife)
| international = true
| internationalspan = 2014-present
| odidebutdate = 8 November
| odidebutyear = 2014
| odidebutagainst = Hong Kong
| odicap = 10
| lastodidate = 5 April
| lastodiyear = 2023
| lastodiagainst = Canada
| odishirt =13
| T20Idebutdate = 15 July
| T20Idebutyear = 2015
| T20Idebutagainst = Ireland
| T20Icap = 9
| lastT20Idate = 21 September
| lastT20Iyear = 2023
| lastT20Iagainst = Hong Kong
| columns = 4
| column1 = ODI
| matches1 = 66
| runs1 = 2,003
| bat avg1 = 30.81
| 100s/50s1 = 1/12
| top score1 = 104
| deliveries1 = 2,388
| wickets1 = 55
| bowl avg1 = 28.70
| fivefor1 = 0
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 3/17
| catches/stumpings1 = 34/–
| column2 = T20I
| matches2 = 43
| runs2 = 839
| bat avg2 = 23.97
| 100s/50s2 = 0/6
| top score2 = 93*
| deliveries2 = 389
| wickets2 = 27
| bowl avg2 = 15.81
| fivefor2 = 0
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 3/7
| catches/stumpings2 = 19/–
| column3 = FC
| matches3 = 7
| runs3 = 700
| bat avg3 = 63.63
| 100s/50s3 = 3/3
| top score3 = 144*
| deliveries3 = 341
| wickets3 = 5
| bowl avg3 = 33.20
| fivefor3 = 0
| tenfor3 = 0
| best bowling3 = 2/80
| catches/stumpings3 = 6/–
| column4 = LA
| matches4 = 101
| runs4 = 2,986
| bat avg4 = 30.78
| 100s/50s4 = 2/18
| top score4 = 105*
| deliveries4 = 2,702
| wickets4 = 69
| bowl avg4 = 26.24
| fivefor4 = 0
| tenfor4 = 0
| best bowling4 = 3/17
| catches/stumpings4 = 46/–
| date = 21 September 2023
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/25056.html Cricinfo
| module = {{Infobox medal templates | titlestyle = background-color: lightsteelblue; | expand=yes
| medals = {{MedalCountry| {{PNG}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's Cricket}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pacific Games}}
{{MedalGold|2019 Apia|Twenty20 International}}
}}
}}
Asadollah Vala (born 5 August 1987) is a Papua New Guinean cricketer and the captain of the national side.{{cite web | url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-intercontinental-cup-2015-17/content/current/player/25056.html | title = Assad Vala | website = ESPNCricinfo | publisher = | access-date = 23 October 2016}}{{cite news | url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/squad/1061356.html | title = PNG squad for Inter-continental Cup match against Namibia | work = ESPN Cricinfo | access-date = 17 October 2016}} A left-handed batsman and off spin bowler, he has played for the Papua New Guinea national team since 2005.[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/62/62462/62462.html CricketArchive profile]
Early career
Born in Papua New Guinea in 1987, Assad Vala first represented Papua New Guinea at the under-19 level, playing in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/62/62462/Other_matches.html Other matches played by Asad Vala] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018051318/http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/62/62462/Other_matches.html |date=18 October 2012 }} at CricketArchive He made his debut for the senior side at the 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland, where he played seven List A matches.[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/62/62462/List_A_Matches.html List A matches played by Asad Vala] at CricketArchive
He returned to the under-19 level later in the year, playing in the Africa/East Asia-Pacific Under-19 Championship at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, South Africa. In 2006, he played for a combined East Asia Pacific team in the Australian National Country Cricket Championship, and did so again in 2007 and 2008.
In 2007, Vala played in Division Three of the World Cricket League in Darwin and represented his country at the 2007 South Pacific Games, where he won a gold medal in the cricket tournament.[http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Events/Tables/South_Pacific_Games_2007.html Points table for the 2007 South Pacific Games cricket tournament] at CricketArchive
International career
He made his One Day International (ODI) debut on 8 November 2014 against Hong Kong in Australia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/791633.html |title=Hong Kong tour of Australia, 1st ODI: Papua New Guinea v Hong Kong at Townsville, Nov 8, 2014 |accessdate=8 November 2014 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} He made his Twenty20 International debut against Ireland in the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament on 15 July 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/875501.html |title=ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, 23rd Match, Group A: Ireland v Papua New Guinea at Belfast, Jul 15, 2015 |accessdate=15 July 2015 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}
In June 2015 on his first-class cricket debut, he scored a match-winning 124 not out against the Netherlands in the 2015–17 ICC Intercontinental Cup.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/870879.html |title=ICC Intercontinental Cup, Netherlands v Papua New Guinea at Amstelveen, Jun 16-18, 2015 |accessdate=18 June 2015 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} He scored three hundreds in his first four matches, also making centuries against Ireland (120) and Namibia (144 not out).{{cite web | url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/870857.html | title = ICC Intercontinental Cup Results | website = ESPNCricinfo | publisher = | access-date = 23 October 2016}}
In February 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) named Vala as one of the ten players to watch ahead of the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.{{cite news |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/626791 |title=10 stars to look out for at CWCQ |work=International Cricket Council |date=27 February 2018 |accessdate=27 February 2018}} In June 2018, at the Papua New Guinea Cricket Awards he won the Tony Elly Medal for the best male player.{{Cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/737791 |title=Assad Vala, Pauke Siaka win top PNG Cricket awards |accessdate=20 June 2018 |work=International Cricket Council}}
In August 2018, he was named as the captain of Papua New Guinea's squad for Group A of the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 East Asia-Pacific Qualifier tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/798905 |title=Squads and fixtures announced for 2020 ICC World T20 - EAP Group 'A' 2018 |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=9 August 2018}} He was the leading run-scorer in Group A of the tournament, with 294 runs in six matches.{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=12556;type=tournament |title=ICC World Twenty20 East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier A, 2018, Most Runs |work=ESPN Cricinfo |accessdate=29 August 2018}} In March 2019, he was named as the captain of Papua New Guinea's squad for the Regional Finals of the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 East Asia-Pacific Qualifier tournament.{{cite web|url=http://cricketphilippines.com/squads-and-fixtures-announced-for-icc-mens-world-cup-eap-final-2019/ |title=Squads and Fixtures Announced for 2020 ICC Men's T20 World Cup EAP Final 2019 |work=Cricket Philippines |accessdate=22 March 2019}} The following month, he was named captain of Papua New Guinea's squad for the 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament in Namibia.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/barras-on-a-mission/ |title=Barras on a mission |work=The National (Papua New Guinea) |accessdate=3 April 2019}}
In June 2019, he was selected to represent the Papua New Guinea cricket team in the men's tournament at the 2019 Pacific Games.{{cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=2-2642-0-0-2642&sID=24021&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=65651026 |title=Athlete List for Samoa 2019 Pacific Games |work=Pacific Games Council |accessdate=21 June 2019}} In September 2019, Vala was named as the captain of Papua New Guinea's squad for the 2019 United States Tri-Nation Series.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1339954 |title=First One Day International to be played in USA |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=10 September 2019}} In the final match of the series, against Namibia, he scored his first ODI century, with 104 runs from 114 balls.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1356652 |title=Vala century in vain as Namibia see off PNG |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=24 September 2019}}
In September 2019, he was named as the captain of Papua New Guinea's squad for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in the United Arab Emirates.{{cite web|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/barras-named-for-qualifiers/ |title=Barras named for qualifiers |work=The National |accessdate=4 October 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1451579 |title=Captains enthusiastic ahead of ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=12 October 2019}} Ahead of the tournament, the ICC named him as the key player in Papua New Guinea's squad.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1418070 |title=Team preview: Papua New Guinea |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=12 October 2019}} He was the leading run-scorer for Papua New Guinea in the tournament, with 197 runs in eight matches.{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/averages/batting_bowling_by_team.html?id=13311;team=20;type=tournament |title=ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier, 2019/20 - Papua New Guinea: Batting and bowling averages |work=ESPN Cricinfo |accessdate=3 November 2019}}
In November 2020, Vala was nominated for the ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Decade award.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1908769 |title=ICC Awards of the Decade announced |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=25 November 2020}} In August 2021, Vala was named as the captain of Papua New Guinea's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2230991 |title=Papua New Guinea unveil T20 World Cup squad |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=24 August 2021}}
In May 2024, he was named the captain in Papua New Guinea’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.{{Cite web |title=Papua New Guinea’s Player Squad for ICC T20 World Cup |url=https://www.scorewaves.com/news-details/papua-new-guinea-squad-for-t20-world-cup |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=ScoreWaves |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cricinfo|id=25056}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Papua New Guinea squads
|bg = black
|fg = #FFD900
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{{Papua New Guinea Squad 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup}}
{{Papua New Guinea Squad 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vala, Assad}}
Category:Papua New Guinean cricketers
Category:Papua New Guinea One Day International cricketers
Category:Papua New Guinea Twenty20 International cricketers
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)