Veteran to lead side against England in January
Hussey to captain Prime Minister's XI
Prime Minister Tony Abbott today confirmed that former Australia batsman Mike Hussey will captain the PM's XI against England at Manuka Oval in Canberra early next year.
The 79-Test veteran, who has retired from international cricket but will captain Sydney Thunder in the KFC T20 Big Bash League this summer, follows in the footsteps of former teammates Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee, who have skippered the Prime Minister's side in recent seasons.
"It's a tremendous honour to be selected to captain the Prime Minister’s XI," said Hussey.
"Having played in the Prime Minister’s XI before, I know how important this fixture is on the Australian cricketing calendar, and it is a great tradition.
"In the past two years Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee have been captains of the team, so it's humbling to follow in the footsteps of two icons of Australian cricket."
The match on January 14 will be sandwiched between BBL|04 fixtures for Hussey, who will lead a team that will be selected in coming weeks by the National Selection Panel with input from Prime Minister Abbott.
The 50-over contest, which will be played under lights, will act as a warm-up for England ahead of the Carlton Mid ODI tri-series with Australia and India, which leads into the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
It is one of several international matches to be played at Manuka Oval this year. The Canberra venue hosted the third Carlton Mid ODI on Wednesday and will also host three World Cup group games, as well as the Big Bash League final.
"This summer of cricket is the biggest in Canberra’s history, and the Prime Minister’s XI match is a key element of that," said Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland.
"Last summer, more than 12,000 people poured through the gates for the match, so we urge all ACT and regional cricket fans to secure their tickets now to avoid missing out.
"Congratulations to Mike on his appointment as captain.
"He has been a fine ambassador for Australian cricket and I’ve no doubt he will lead the Prime Minister’s XI team with distinction."
Prime Minister Abbott also announced that Stand Tall, a charity that aims to raise awareness about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), will be the official charity partner of the match.