“It’s pretty exciting,” Vann said.
“It’s definitely cool to help out a smaller nation.”
Among the squad is Canterbury Magicians pace bowler Gabby Sullivan, who has strong ties to Sumner.
She will make her debut and captain the side in the T20 tournament, held from April 9-13.
Sullivan’s Cook Islands heritage comes from her father’s side and has always been a strong part of her life.
“It’ll be a really cool opportunity to represent my grandma and my dad’s side,” Sullivan said.
“That’s one of the main reasons I play cricket - it’s for my family.”
As she prepares for this new challenge, Sullivan reflects on the familiar sight of her family watching from the grass banks at Hagley Oval.
Now playing for the Cook Islands, she looks forward to sharing the game with the other side of her family.
The Cook Islands will play hosts, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Australian Indian Women’s Cricket Association XI in a round-robin format before a play-off final.
Vann’s connection with Cook Islands cricket began unexpectedly during a family holiday when he saw a cricket training session taking place.
After offering to help and donating gear, Vann formed a strong relationship with the team and was then invited to run a training camp with the women’s team before the Pacific Cup in 2024.
The team’s usual coach was unavailable for the Bali Bash, so Vann was asked if he wanted to step in.
He also runs his own coaching clinic – Evolution Performance – which specialises in developing cricket, rugby and mental skills.
Sullivan plays club cricket for North West, but her childhood club was Sumner, where she grew up and where her family still live.
To Vann’s surprise, cricket is a popular sport in the Pacific nation, though resources are scarce.
“We asked the girls what playing for the Cook Islands means to them, and a lot said it was to inspire other Polynesians to play the game,” he said.
Participating in tournaments like the Bali Bash is important for the growth of cricket in smaller countries like the Cook Islands, Vann said.
This will be Sullivan’s second time in an international environment, after being brought into the White Ferns squad in 2021 as cover for the injured Lea Tahuhu.
“It made my drive much bigger for the game, thinking this could actually be a career of mine,” she said.
“It was cool seeing what the women’s game has developed into, it was just really exciting.”
Sullivan did not make it onto the field but she thrived in the ultra-professional environment and the experience taught her a lot about the training standards required to reach that level.
Now, as captain of a younger and less experienced Cook Islands squad, Sullivan plans to take a different leadership approach.
“They just play because they love to play, which is really exciting.
“Cricket is essentially a game of failures, so when I’m talking with younger players I remind them to keep the enjoyment and positivity at the forefront,” she said.
“It’s definitely growing and gaining more awareness in Pacific countries, which is really cool.”
Before departing for Indonesia, Vann and Sullivan joined the rest of the squad in Auckland over the weekend for training sessions.
