PA/26/12 12 October 2012
Australian Indigenous cricket team tours India
Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Peter Varghese, welcomed Cricket Australia’s National Indigenous Development Squad on their first tour of India as part of Oz Fest, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever staged in India.
Mr Varghese said “From 14 to 26 October, the team will play a combination of one-day and Twenty20 matches against local Indian teams in Mumbai and Pune, including a match against the prestigious Cricket Club of India.”
“The team will also raise awareness of Australian indigenous culture and history through a series of community and cultural exchanges in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune”, said Mr Varghese.
Players will attend the opening night concert for Oz Fest in Delhi on 16 October and will walk the red carpet for the premiere of cricket comedy SAVE YOUR LEGS! at the Mumbai Film Festival on 21 October. At the Festival, the team will also attend the screening of The Sapphires, an inspirational tale set in the heady days of the late 1960s about a quartet of young, talented singers from a remote Aboriginal community who travel to Vietnam to entertain American troops during the Vietnam War.
Australia’s Prime Minister, The Hon Julia Gillard, will join the team members in Delhi for a cricket clinic hosted by NGO Magic Bus. The clinic will involve cricket, but will also be a chance for young people from both countries to meet and talk about social issues. Magic Bus is one of five agencies in India implementing the Australian Government's Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP), focussing on sport-based activities that contribute to social development.
The Indigenous Development Squad comprises the brightest talent from the 2012 Imparja Cup, Cricket Australia’s national Indigenous tournament. The team’s Indian tour is an opportunity for players to develop their skills as cricketers and as ambassadors for Australia and their sport.
Captain Josh Lalor said the team is excited about coming to India, “The tour is a fantastic opportunity for members of the squad to come to a vastly different part of the world.”
“Travelling to India goes beyond what we’ll do on-field. The cultural experiences we’ll encounter will develop the group both personally and professionally,” added Mr Lalor.
The tour is being organised by Cricket Australia.
MATCH DETAILS
15 October - Cricket Club of India, Mumbai (Twenty20 Match)
19 October - Pune Club Ground, Pune (50 over match)
23 October -MIG Cricket Club, Mumbai (50 over match)
24 October MIG Cricket Club, Mumbai (50 over match)
Squad
Ben Abbatangelo (Victoria)
Michael Bailey (Western Australia)
Dylan Fuller (Northern Territory)
John Green (Victoria)
Jake Kubinek (Queensland)
Josh Lalor (New South Wales)
Marcus McGregor-Cassidy (South Australia)
Aaron Muir (New South Wales)
Nathan Price (New South Wales)
Darcy Short (Northern Territory)
Fletcher Stewart (Victoria)
Cameron Trask (Queensland)
Bohdi Walker (Victoria)
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For media enquiries, please contact -
Sebastian Kipman, Cricket Australia Public Affairs - +61 420 565 132, [email protected].
(Video, images and audio will be available to media throughout the tour)
Nitya Pillai, Mumbai Consulate-General - +91 22 67574910 or +91 9769933965, [email protected]