PNG cricketer faces accusation of robbery during ICC CWC Challenge League tournament
Papua New Guinea (PNG) wicket-keeper batter, who has made seven World Cup appearances, has been accused of robbery during the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) Challenge League in Jersey.
New Delhi: Papua New Guinea (PNG) wicket-keeper batter Kiplin Doriga was accused of robbery during the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) Challenge League in Jersey. The incident took place in St. Helier on August 25, Monday.
According to EMTV, a PNG news outlet, Doriga admitted his crime in the Magistrate's court on August 27 in Jersey. The Magistrate denied the bail of the PNG player and put him in the remand unit until his next hearing on November 28.
The magistrate court also referred the case to the Royal court and categorised the robbery as a serious matter. PNG cricket pulled their hands off from Doriga and stated this case as an individual matter, and the case won't affect the team's preparation for the CWC Challenge League games.
The 29-year-old player has appeared in two T20I World Cups in 2021 and 2024. He represented PNG in 39 ODIs and 43 T20Is in his career and scored over 1000 runs across both formats.
Doriga, who scored a half-century in the ongoing CWC Challenge Cup, didn't travel with the team as he is yet to get the green flag from the judiciary.
The CWC Challenge League presents a chance for the associate nations to move closer to the ICC World Cup qualifiers. In the ongoing league, PNG managed to win four out of eight matches and is currently in third place with nine points in eight games.
PNG began its campaign on a high note with victories over Denmark, Kuwait, Kenya, and Qatar. But in the later phase, they lack consistency throughout the tournament and lost some important games against Denmark, Kuwait, and Jersey.
PNG featured in the last T20I World Cup in 2024, where they played against some giants like West Indies, Afghanistan, and New Zealand. The minnows will feature in the Asia-EAP regional final to book their place in the upcoming T20I World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.