The International Cricket Council (ICC) has granted One Day International and Twenty20 International status to Amini Park in Port Moresby.
This followed a recent inspection of the facilities at the venue.
This means Amini Park can stage international matches between Associate and Affiliate Members.
Amini Park was given the nod after the irrigation, field of play, change rooms, umpires’ rooms, media and officials’ rooms were upgraded.
CEO of Cricket PNG, Greg Campbell, was delighted at the news.
“This is a historic moment for CPNG and the East Asia Pacific for the ICC to grant international status to the home of cricket in PNG.
“PNG has been the leading cricket country in the EAP region outside of the two Full-Member countries in Australia and New Zealand.
“We are currently the number one ranked team in all divisions (Men’s, Women’s and U19). Now we can say that we are the first Associate Member country in the region to have an ODI and T20I venue.
“A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes over the past couple of years to make this dream a reality. Firstly, we would like to acknowledge the ICC for assisting CPNG with a development grant to help start this project and then, Curtain Brothers for taking up this project.
“We now can entice international/first class teams to come to Port Moresby to play on international standard cricket facilities. You never know, we might be able to host our pacific neighbours in Australia and New Zealand in the not so distant future,” said Campbell.
Amini Park’s first international assignment will be the ICC Intercontinental Cup (ICUP)/World Cricket League Championships (WCLC) Round 6 Fixture against Scotland next month.
The two WCLC matches scheduled for Friday 6 and Sunday 8 October will also be official ODI fixtures.
CPNG hosted Kenya (WCLC) and Namibia (ICUP and WCLC) at Amini Park last year with the matches classed as “List A” fixtures.