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Papua New GuineaBowler
Nosaina Pokana
- Age
- 30y 199d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Left-arm fast
- Age
- 30y 199d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Left-arm fast
Nosaina Pokana is a left-arm pace bowler from Papua New Guinea, and a case can be made that nobody in the country's cricket bowls quicker. His career has not been a long one, yet it has already thrown up more than its share of hurdles.
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The most serious setback arrived in 2018, when the ICC barred him from bowling after his action was found to be illegal. Rather than fade away, Pokana went through the required corrective work and rebuilt his action, eventually earning his way back into the attack.
His return paid off handsomely at the 2019 WCL Division Two tournament. PNG used that event to win back their ODI status, and Pokana played a central role, finishing as his side's top wicket-taker. He gave the team a dangerous option with the new ball throughout the campaign.
What makes him a threat is a combination of genuine speed and the angle that comes from bowling left-handed, which offers him natural variation and an edge over batters. His value is not limited to the opening overs either: he is also trusted to hold his nerve at the death. Those qualities have made him a key figure in PNG's white-ball cricket.
