THE four non-travelling reserves of the national cricket side will depart the country this morning with the team for New Zealand.
Army Cricket Club players Kitione Tavo, Sevunivola Baba, Jikoi Kida and Jone Seuvou were initially named to compete in the 2013 ICC East Asia Pacific Men's Championship but had to pull out as their visas were not granted by the New Zealand High Commission.
Replacing them will be Tavo's younger brother Tukana Tavo, Peniseni Kotoisuva, Rukesh Patel and Eric Browne.
Team captain Josefa Rika said it was unfortunate that the Army players could not go with them.
But on the other hand, he said it would make no difference to the team as the replacements were equally capable players.
"It will not really have any effect on the team as far as I can see," Rika said.
"All of us, including the four reserves, had been training together from the very start so we have been subjected to the same principles and techniques in training," he said.
"Everyone knows their role in the team and we will all go to the competition with the same goals."
Fiji will face Indonesia, Japan, Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu in the tournament respectively.
The side will play two warm-up games on Thursday and Friday against Samoa and Vanuatu respectively and Rika said it would be a good hit out for the boys.
The tournament will be from February 3 to 7 at Waikaraka Park in Auckland.