Thank you very much John Gallop, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the Captain of the West Indies Team, Justin Langer, the Captain of the Prime Minister's XI, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to simply say on behalf of everybody how delighted I am to be once again associated with this wonderful sporting event in Canberra. And can I compliment the ACT Cricket Association for all that it has done in collaboration with Cricket Australia to make this once again a terrific sporting event. And can I also indicate in the spirit of ACT Cricket Association's contribution to the game, a wonderful gesture on behalf of the Association.
You may have noticed that I visited Pakistan recently and tried to play cricket with some young Pakistanis on a makeshift pitch high in Kashmir, right at the site where some 160 men and women of the Australian Defence Force are doing terrific things in the name of this country to help the people who've suffered so much from that tragic earthquake. The cricket equipment of the local team was a little underpowered and the Cricket Association has put together a lovely package of two or three bats, a box of balls and I've been assured by the Secretary of my Department that he's spoken to the Chief of the Australian Defence Force Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston and those balls and bats will be on their way shortly. And the next time one of the Black Hawks goes up from Islamabad to Dhanni they'll hand over this new equipment. So that the next time a visiting Prime Minister goes there, he might perform a little better.
The other thing I want to do is to thank both of the Captains for being here, to say to Shivnarine, it's always a delight to have our friends from the West Indies in Australia. They have played a brand of cricket over the years. My first recollection was of the 1951 tour. My most vivid recollection of West Indies tours of course was of the magnificent series in 1960-61. But every year that you've come, you've been wonderful competitors and you're always incredibly welcome. And the friendship of the Australian cricket fraternity to the people and the players of the West Indies is quite unconditional and very genuine. Thank you very much for your sportsmanship and contribution.
And Justin, I want to thank you very much for the wonderful score that your team has achieved. It's an impressive total and can I say to you thank you very much for agreeing to Captain the Prime Minister's XI on this occasion. Let me pay tribute to the incredible skill and professionalism you have brought to your cricket. And can I also remark on the character you bring to your participation in the game. We often talk rather loosely about role models amongst sportsmen and women. You are a wonderful example of a fine role model to younger players. You're not only a wonderful player, but you're a wonderful person and your character and your behaviour is an example to the young and an example to the not so young. Thank you very much for the contribution you make to Australian cricket.
And I conclude by also thanking the sponsors, particularly Ron Brierley and all the other people who, over the years, have kicked in and made this an ever improving and ever more enthusiastically supported event. And I would like to add a word of encouragement to any consideration that Cricket Australia might give to a major cricketing event, a really major cricketing event in Canberra to mark the centenary of the capital of Australia.
Thank you.
[ends]