Cricket Australia receives $US 500,000 for topping LG ICC tables
Cricket Australia today received a cheque for half a million US dollars for being the top side in the LG ICC Test Championship and LG ICC ODI Championship.
Jon Long
31-May-2005
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The introduction of official tables for both forms of the game has enabled the ICC to identify and reward the best performing nations and Cricket Australia becomes the first member board to benefit for its teams holding top spot in both tables on 1 April 2005.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland paid tribute to the performance of the Australian team and the administrative bodies that support the players off the field.
"Cricket Australia is honoured to receive this cheque from the International Cricket Council to reward the Australian team's position on the LG ICC Test and ODI Championship tables over the past 12 months," said Mr Sutherland.
"It certainly recognises the performance of the Australian team and our team management who play such a vital role behind the scenes.
"Off the field, we also have strong and dedicated administrative bodies at national and state level that provide tremendous support for the Australian and state cricket teams.
"The next five months offers an exciting period for Australian cricket culminating in the Johnnie Walker Super Series in October which presents a great opportunity for the Australian team to test itself against the best players in the world."
Australian Test and one-day international batsman Simon Katich, also on hand at the cheque presentation in Brisbane, said the Australian team was looking forward to the next five months of cricket.
"The LG ICC tables have Australia on top at the moment, but we are certainly not taking anything for granted over the coming months," said Katich.
"Our immediate focus is on defending the Ashes before turning our attention in October to the Johnnie Walker Super Series."
The cheque was presented to Mr Sutherland by LG Electronics State Manager, Mr Gio Infante.
"The very idea of the LG ICC rating was to create an honest and credible cricket rating system for the ODI and Test matches, and I feel that we, in association with ICC, have surely achieved that goal. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Australian team for having topped both the ODI and Test match ratings and look forward to LG's association with such innovative and exciting cricketing events in the future also," said Mr KR Kim - President South West Asia, LGE.
Australia retains a comfortable lead in both LG ICC tables but a 5-0 defeat in this summer's Ashes would see it lose top spot in the LG ICC Test Championship to its closest rival England.
Cricket Australia received $US 250,000 for topping the LG ICC Test Championship and $US 250,000 for topping the LG ICC ODI Championship.