ACB confirms decision to omit Canberra from Mercantile Mutual Cup

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) today confirmed its decision to omit the Canberra Comets from the Mercantile Mutual Cup.

The May Board meeting of the ACB today heard a further submission from the President of the Australian Capital Territory Cricket Association (ACTCA) Justice John Gallop, seeking to overturn the March decision of the ACB to exclude the Comets from the competition.

ACB Chairman, Mr Denis Rogers, said that the decision was taken after a philosophical discussion concerning cricket in the ACT.

"The Australian Capital Territory Cricket Association has clearly done a commendable job in the development of the game in the ACT region," said Mr Rogers.

"Nevertheless, the ACB fundamentally regards the ACT as a development region for the game of cricket. The ACB Directors were not persuaded by the arguments and this decision is based on the view that a development region for the game does not necessarily warrant inclusion in an elite competition.

"The career path for cricketers and cricket officials in the ACT is clearly through the wider Cricket New South Wales structure.

"In addition, the ACB also recognises that one of the great strengths of cricket in Australia is intense competition between a limited number of state based teams and this decision confirms this belief."

The ACB has passed on this decision to the ACTCA through Justice Gallop.