Fourteen-man Australia A squad chosen for Travelex Tour of South Africa

Australian Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive officer James Sutherland today announced that the National Selection Panel (NSP) has chosen the Australia A squad for a seven-match, one-day international series against South Africa A in September.

The squad is:

Australian Test opening batsman Justin Langer will captain the side. Langer, who has played eight one-day internationals for Australia, his last in 1997, will return to South Africa after Australia's triumphant three-Test series against the Proteas earlier this year.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said the 14-man squad illustrated Australia's enviable depth of talent at the elite level.

"It is fair to say that this is a very talented group, and these matches against South Africa A provide the selection panel with the chance to look at a range of players in international conditions ahead of the next summer's VB Series and the World Cup," Hohns said.

"It also provides players with valuable experience at the international level and importantly, for those players who may eventually be selected for the World Cup, the familiarity of playing in South Africa."

Only two players selected in the squad have not represented Australia or Australia A in the shortened form of the game.

Twenty-one year old New South Wales Blues batsman Michael Clarke was selected after a successful domestic season in the Pura Cup and ING Cup, in which he scored 621 first-class runs and 273 runs at domestic one-day level.

Tasmanian pace bowler Damien Wright, whose prior international experience extends to acting as a substitute fielder during the Carlton & United Series match between Australia and Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval in 1999, claimed 13 wickets at 29.46 during the 2001-02 ING Cup season.

The squad will depart for South Africa on 27 August.