Unlike some prime ministers, I haven’t been a cricket tragic. I wasn’t much of a cricketer. In fact, as I think I’ve said previously on this occasion, I was taken down to the nets in year seven at St Ignatius College and after they watched me bowl a wide and you know, a swipe outside off stump they said, ‘off you go to the rowing sheds, that’s where you’re going!’
But then, of course, years later I found myself in the United Kingdom as a student at Oxford and I discovered the only way to get a drink in the afternoon was to play cricket because the bar at the cricket ground was open all afternoon and didn’t close between 2.00 and 5.00 as the pubs did in those days in the United Kingdom. So, I became a very enthusiastic cricketer!
I was the captain of the Queen’s College Middle Common Room XI and under my captaincy, the Queen’s College Middle Common Room XI did more fixtures than any other team in the College. So, I have been a very enthusiastic cricketer at different times of my life and it is an honour to be associated with this Prime Minister’s XI.
It was started, of course, by Bob Menzies, then there was quite a long gap and this fixture was renewed by Bob Hawke and very enthusiastically continued since then, particularly by John Howard.
Now, I just hope that this year my team can do better than in the two previous seasons. In the two previous seasons the only game where England got any joy was the game against the Prime Minister’s XI and so I’m hoping this year it will be a better outcome for Australia.
I’m really pleased that Mike Hussey has agreed again to be the captain. As you know, Mike has played 79 tests for Australia, he played 185 one day internationals, his test average was over 50 and his one day international average was almost 50 – an absolutely extraordinary record. So, Mike, thank you so much for agreeing to captain the team again and let’s hope this time nothing intervenes to prevent you taking the field!
I’m also pleased that this is going to be the first game, as I understand it, played with a pink ball which has been specially designed by Kookaburra Australia to be visible in night matches. So, that’s something that I’m very pleased about.
I’m also pleased that in our Anzac centenary year, the beneficiary for this match will be the Returned and Services League. The RSL do a magnificent job. Not only do they represent our veterans at a living level, not only do they advocate for our veterans at a policy level but they do tremendous work amongst our veterans to try to ensure that they live the lives and receive the recognition and support that they deserve.
So, I’m thrilled that this will be an exciting game and hopefully it will help to set up a great summer of cricket.
I should also note that in a couple of hours’ time, Michael Clarke will begin his last game as Australia’s test captain. He has been a most distinguished test captain. We have been extremely blessed in our test captains but Michael Clarke has been a very worthy member of an extraordinarily distinguished group of Australian cricketers. It’s also going to be Chris Rogers’ last game for Australia and when Mike was unavailable to actually take the field last year in the Prime Minister’s XI, Chris Rogers was a tremendous stand-in. While last year’s game didn’t get the right outcome, it was certainly a tremendous spectacle with something like 700 runs being scored.
So, again, let me say how pleased and proud I am to be here to launch this season’s Prime Minister’s XI. I’m delighted to support our national summer game and I’m also delighted to support cricket here in the ACT and thank you so much for having me.
[ends]