PNG batsmen to rub shoulders with cricket stars.

Transcript

Papua New Guinea batsmen Lega Siaka says he intends to learn as much as possible during his time with the Melbourne Renegades cricket team in the Australian T20 Big Bash League.

The 21 year old has been signed as a Community Rookie player, following in the footsteps of Barramundi's teammates Assad Vala and Charles Amini Jr.

He told Vinnie Wylie the call-up came as a big surprise.

LEGA SIAKA: I didn't expect they're going to contact me and tell me, "Lega, you've got a rookie contract on the Renegades [team] and I was just sitting back and just, oh, what a feeling I had. I didn't expect them to call me and somehow they called me and say, "Lega, you've got a rookie contract from the Renegades", so I was happy. I didn't expect that but things can happen.

VINNIE WYLIE: What do you think your chances are of playing some games in the Big Bash? I know in the past some of the players with the rookie contact have managed to play a couple of games. Is that something you're going to try and achieve or are you just relaxed about what happens when you get in that Melbourne environment?

LS: I reckon you've got to work hard to go through that team. I reckon they've got good batsmen - good quality batsmen - so I need to work hard and hopefully I'll get a game.

VW: It must be exciting to be able to train and work alongside the likes of Aaron Finch, Jesse Ryder, Dwayne Bravo and lots more Australian internationals as well in that team [too]. Is that something you're looking forward to?

LS: Yeah I'm looking really forward to that and I'm excited to see them or play with them or training with them, I'm getting excited.

VW: Obviously your performances for the Barramundi's have impressed the Renegades. You got a hundred on debut at the start of the year [and] you scored a hundred in one of the one dayers against Hong Kong last month, which was a huge moment for Papua New Guinea Cricket: the first ever one day international for the Barramundi's team. It must be a really exciting time at the moment to be a part of Papua New Guinea Cricket.

LS: This is my ODI first century I've ever made. I was feeling happy and I'm happy what I'm reaching at the moment so I hope [to] learn a lot [at the Renegades] and take it [back] to Cricket PNG.

VW: Have you spoken with your teammate Assad Vala about the Big Bash because he has been a part of the Brisbane Heat team and had the same rookie deal that you have in the past?

LS: I'm living in Melbourne and he's living at Canberra [playing club cricket] so [I'm not sure] how am I going to contact him but we are here now - all the boys are here now [in Adelaide to compete in the South Australian Premier League] and I think I'm going to speak to him about the rookie contract. That's the two boys - Charles Amini Jr [who had a rookie contract at the [Sydney Sixers] and Assad Vala.

VW: What are you hoping to achieve during your time with the Renegades?

LS: [I'm] trying to achieve a lot of things. I'm happy to learn a lot from them and also take something back to Cricket PNG - just watch them what they are doing, what they are eating, their routine [and] stuff like that. I hope I will learn a lot and take something back home to tell teammates or players or Cricket PNG they're doing it like that.