The Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) are pleased to announce that the second Prime Minister’s XI versus ATSIC Chairman’s XI cricket match will be played at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Friday 8 March 2002.
The staging of the 2002 match follows the success of the first game held between a Prime Minister’s XI and an ATSIC Chairman’s XI in April 2001.
The staging of these matches was first proposed by Mr Geoff Clark as a way to encourage young Indigenous cricketers, and also to recognise the significance of the participation of Indigenous Australians in cricket both prior to and since Australian Federation.
The match will provide an important opportunity for promising young Indigenous cricketers to participate in a game against and alongside Australian and state level players.
It is intended that as was the case last year, the match will be a standard one day game.
The Prime Minister and the ATSIC Chairman wish to thank the Australian Cricket Board and the ACT Cricket Association for their continuing support for the Prime Minister’s XI versus ATSIC Chairman’s XI matches.
The Australian community, and especially cricket fans, are urged to support this game.
Mr Clark said he would like to see the match become an annual showcase for young Indigenous cricketers and move to different venues around the country from next year.