Melbourne and Brisbane to host Australia v Pakistan in Super Challenge II

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) today announced that Melbourne and Brisbane will host a three-match one-day international series between Australia and Pakistan in June 2002.

Super Challenge II will begin under the roof at Melbourne's Colonial Stadium on Wednesday 12 and Saturday 15 June before finishing at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday 19 June.

The matches follow the first Super Challenge series in August 2000, which saw Australia take on South Africa in the first ever international match played in an enclosed stadium.

That series proved highly successful with more than 90,000 spectators watching the teams play out a tied series of one win each and a thrilling tie.

ACB Chief Executive Officer, James Sutherland, said Super Challenge II would help satisfy the increasing demand for international cricket in Australia.

"One of the difficulties in scheduling the summer season is trying to provide cricket followers with enough opportunities to see the Australian team play live," Mr Sutherland said.

"This series allows us to give more people the chance to see their team play and ensures that the team is able to continue its build-up for the 2003 World Cup.

"Colonial Stadium is a proven venue for international cricket, and the dry climate of Queensland in June will allow us to showcase the game at The Gabba," he said.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director, Brigadier Munawar Ahmed Rana, said the series would provide its side with valuable match practice leading into the 2003 World Cup.

"The PCB is pleased to accept the ACB's invitation to take part in this exciting series," Brigadier Rana said.

"We have the Sharjah Cup against tough opposition in Sri Lanka and New Zealand this month, which should see us ideally placed for the three matches against Australia in June.

"Taking on Australia is not only important to our preparation for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, but it is also a great challenge, as Australia has defeated our team in some important fixtures in recent times," he said.

Colonial Stadium will undergo a significant transformation to make it suitable for international cricket.

The first Super Challenge II match will be played less than three days after the Round 11 Australian Football League (AFL) match on Sunday 9 June between Geelong and Carlton.

To assist in the preparation of the ground, the ACB will again use a "drop-in" pitch, prepared under hot-house conditions at Seymour in country Victoria. The project will be overseen by Melbourne Cricket Ground Head Curator, Tony Ware.

Both matches at Colonial Stadium will be played with the roof shut.

Colonial Stadium Chief Executive Officer, Ian Collins, said he was pleased to welcome cricket back to the venue for the first time since August 2000.

"We are again delighted to welcome the Australian cricket team when they take on Pakistan in Super Challenge II," Mr Collins said.

"Cricket at Colonial is a special event - with the roof closed and the seating so close to the arena, each patron is guaranteed a memorable experience," he said.

In Brisbane, Gabba Head Curator Kevin Mitchell Junior will prepare a pre-existing wicket in co-operation with tenant AFL Club, the Brisbane Lions.

The Australia/Pakistan head-to-head record points to a close contest in June. From the 60 one-day internationals played between the two nations, Australia has won 33 and lost 24, with one tie and two matches finishing without a result.

Most recently, the two sides met in the final of the 2001 tri-angular series in the United Kingdom that also involved England, and before that, the final of the 1999 Word Cup at Lord's.

Prizemoney will see the winning team in each match awarded $15,000, the losing team $5000, the man-of-the-match $1000 and the man-of-the-series $5000. A $30,000 bonus is on offer for a clean-sweep of the series.

More than 120,000 seats are expected to be on sale for the three-game series.

In Melbourne, the lowest price seat will cost $25.07 (including GST, but plus agency fees*) and a family pass of two adults and two children will cost $56.00 (including GST, but plus agency fees*).

In Brisbane, an adult ticket will cost $24.97 (including GST, but plus agency fees*) and a family pass of two adults and two children will cost $58.80 (including GST, but plus agency fees*).

All three day/night fixtures will be televised by the Nine Network.

*All tickets attract agency charges by the venues' ticketing agency, Ticketmaster 7. These charges vary according to state and transaction and are not controlled by the ACB.