Australia's living Test cricketers to be honoured at presentation dinner in Sydney

Australia's 199 living Test cricketers will be honoured at a gala presentation and reunion dinner in Sydney in July, to acknowledge the contribution of Australian Test players from the past 70 years.

The Australian Test Cricketers' Cap Presentation will see each living Australian Test player receive a commemorative baggy green cap, and an official Test number recognising his place in the successful line of players to have represented Australia at Test level.

The black-tie function, to be held at the Sydney Convention Centre on 11 July, is a joint initiative of the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) to reunite Australia's living Test players.

ACB Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said the event is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate Australia's rich cricket history.

"The Australian Cricket Board seeks, as one of its formal strategic objectives, to celebrate the people, events and spirit which have helped make the game of cricket so great in this country," Mr Sutherland said.

"The 385 players who have worn the baggy green cap have collectively contributed to a sporting tradition that in turn, has helped develop our distinctive Australian national culture.

"When selected to represent Australia for the first time, players receive a baggy green cap and an allocated Test cap number which becomes part of their identity. In recent times, there has been strong interest in the number, which now appears on each player's shirt.

"This event provides the opportunity for all living Test players, past and present, to celebrate their individual numbers and place in Australia's cricket history."

Australia's oldest living Test cricketer, Bill Brown, was the 150th player selected to represent Australia when he made his debut against England at Nottingham in 1934.

The most recently capped Australian Test player is Queensland top-order batsman Martin Love. Love became the 385th member of the prestigious Test group after making his debut against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 2002.

Chief Executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association, Mr Tim May, said the event highlighted the contribution of Australia's Test players in building the game to its present strength.

"The foundations of the game today and the commercial success that it now enjoys are a direct result of the efforts and achievements of all players who have earned the right to wear the baggy green," said Mr May.

"This function represents an ideal opportunity to not only recognise those players who have contributed to Test cricket's great history, but also to remind us of the depth of such foundations."

The non-profit event is sponsored by The Ford Motor Company, the official automotive partner of Australian cricket.

"We are very proud to sponsor this historic event as the official automotive partner of Australian cricket," said Ford Australia President Geoff Polites.

"Australian cricket, like Ford, has a long history of leadership.

"The series win in the West Indies has Australia back on top of the world rankings and ensconced in the driver's seat, a sensation customers of our new Fairlane G220 will experience when our spirited new prestige performance car launches on 1 July."

A limited number of tickets for the Australian Test Cricketers' Cap Presentation are available through Off the Wall Events, on 1300 300 661, or bookings@offthewall.com.au.