White Fern Sara McGlashan will travel to Vanuatu next week as an ambassador for the Pepsi ICC East Asia-Pacific Women’s Championship which runs from the 14th - 18th of May.
The ICC endorsed McGlashan’s involvement after the two parties first discussed ways in which she could contribute to the 
event last month.
The tournament - the largest held for women’s cricket in the East Asia-Pacific region - has six teams competing in it, with the winner to progress through to the final stage of qualifying for the Women’s 2014 Twenty20 World Cup.
McGlashan, who is not only a White Fern but also the Women’s National Development officer for New Zealand Cricket, will be a mentor for the teams and give advice on how to build to being a successful team on the international stage.
Training sessions with the players, post-game debriefs with the coaches and regular promotional work will certainly keep the Central Hind’s star busy. ICC East Asia-Pacific Regional Development Manager Kieran McMillan believes Sara’s presence and knowledge can provide a huge boost for the game in the area.
“Our region has a real opportunity over the next few years to make a global impact via the women’s game,” said McMillan.
“Sara is a high quality international cricketer and with her experience and expertise she will have a very positive influence on players and coaches at this event.”
McGlashan herself is excited by the opportunity she has over in Vanuatu and believes the tournament is a great initiative to further develop the women’s game.
“It’s great to see women’s cricket becoming prevalent in new areas and competitions like these are essential to help promote the sport,” McGlashan said.
“It will be great to be involved at the tournament and am really looking forward to seeing and working with some of the rising stars of the game.”
The last event was held in 2010, with Japan victorious and advancing on to the next round of qualification.
*Sara will be keeping a blog on her trip which will be linked to the women’s section
