Brett Lee To Lead Prime Minister’s XI Against England

Prime Minister of Australia the Hon Tony Abbott MP and Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel (NSP) today named the Prime Minister’s XI to play England at Manuka Oval on 14 January.

The full squad is:
Brett Lee (Captain)    NSW
Jackson Bird    TAS
Ben Cutting    QLD
Peter Handscomb (wk)    VIC
Brad Hodge    VIC
Chris Lynn    QLD
Alister McDermott    QLD
James Muirhead    VIC
Luke Pomersbach    QLD
Clive Rose    TAS
Michael Spaseski    ACT
Shane Devoy (12th man)    ACT

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, “ It is an honour to announce the squad to take on England in next week’s Prime Minister’s XI match.

“This team is an exciting mix of new talent and seasoned hands.

“After such an extraordinary Ashes win by the Australian Cricket team, I am looking forward to what should be another great day in our summer of cricket,” the Prime Minister concluded.

National Selection Panel Chairman John Inverarity said of the team announcement:

“This match is a special fixture on the Australian cricketing calendar. Brett Lee and Brad Hodge bring leadership and experience to the team and will be great drawcards.

“Chris Lynn has been in excellent form this season in all forms of the game. Jackson Bird is recovering well from injury and we are keen to increase his workload.

“We have also been pleased with the progress of left-arm orthodox spinner Clive Rose, who has performed well for Tasmania in the Bupa Sheffield Shield.

“ACT local Michael Spaseski is a promising young batsman and provides a great cricketing story. He is a first generation Australian of Macedonian parents, who knew nothing about cricket when they first came to Australia.

“We have every confidence that this team will perform well and that the players selected will represent the Prime Minister’s XI with pride,” Inverarity concluded.

Cricket ACT Chairman Ian McNamee said, “The Prime Minister’s XI game provides a fantastic opportunity for the most talented ACT players to show their skills against international opposition.

“This match will showcase the wonderful upgrades at Manuka Oval, with the new playing surface and lights taking the venue to an international standard,” McNamee said.

A limited number of tickets for the match are still available via Ticketek.

The match will be live streamed on www.cricket.com.au.