Media release

ACB training squad bound for India

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) will send a 12-man training squad to India next Thursday (4 April 2002) to gain experience in sub-continent conditions.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) will send a 12-man training squad to India next Thursday (4 April 2002) to gain experience in sub-continent conditions.
Throughout the nine-day tour, the squad, under the guidance of acting Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy Head Coach Wayne Phillips, will play practice matches against teams from Madras based cricket academy, the MRF Pace Foundation.
Chairman of the National Selection Panel Trevor Hohns and Phillips chose the following players to take part in the tour:
George BaileyRHB, RMTasmania
Jarrod BurkeLHB, SLANew South Wales
Robert CassellRF, LHBVictoria
Beau CassonSLA, RHBWestern Australia
Sean ClingelefferWKT, LHBTasmania
Xavier DohertySLA, LHBTasmania
Ryan HarrisRM, RHBSouth Australia
Ashley NoffkeRF, RHBQueensland
Marcus NorthLHB, OBWestern Australia
Craig SimmonsLHB, SLCWestern Australia
Andrew SymondsRHB, RM/OBQueensland
Cameron WhiteRHB, LBVictoria
The squad boasts six first-class players as well as six members of Australia's under-19 side that won the 2002 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand during February 2002.
Commenting on the tour, Phillips said:
"The whole idea behind this trip is to expose young Australian players to the difficulties of playing cricket in the sub-continent.
"Playing cricket in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is very different to playing at home and any experience our promising players can gain will be extremely valuable should they one day tour the sub-continent," Phillips said.
This is the fourth squad the ACB has sent to India for training purposes as part of an agreement between the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, a program of the Australian Institute of Sport, and the MRF Pace Foundation.
The agreement, with the assistance of the Australia-India Council, has also seen players from the MRF Pace Foundation tour Australia.
Players to have taken part in recent training tours to India include Matthew Hayden, Australia's leading batsman throughout last year's Test series in India, Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, and the 2001-02 Pura Cup Player of the Year, Brad Hodge.
Player style key RHB - right-hand bat, LHB - left-hand bat, WKT - wicket-keeper, , SLC - slow left-arm wrist-spinner, SLA - slow left-arm orthodox spinner, RF - right-arm fast bowler, RMF - right-arm medium fast, RM - right-arm medium, OB - right-arm off-spinner