Australia national cricket team

Australia
Insignia on the baggy green.
Test status granted	1877
First Test match	v England at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, 15–19 March 1877 (scorecard)
Captain	Michael Clarke (Test & ODI) Cameron White (T20)
Coach	Mickey Arthur
Official ICC Test and ODI ranking	4th (Test), 1st (ODI) [1]
Test matches - This year	734 1
Last Test match	v England at the SCG, Sydney, Australia, 3–7 January 2011 (scorecard)
Wins/losses - This year	341/192 2/2
As of 7 January 2011[1]

The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877.^[2] The team also plays One Day International cricket and Twenty20 International, participating in both the first ODI, against England in the 1970–71 season^[3] and the first Twenty20 International, against New Zealand in the 2004–05 season,^[4] winning both games. The team mainly draws its players from teams playing in the Australian domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, the Australian Domestic One-Day Series and the Big Bash League.

The Australian team has played 730 Test matches, winning 341, losing 192, drawing 195 and tying two.^[5] Australia is ranked the number-one team overall in Test cricket in terms of overall wins, win-loss ratio and wins percentage. Australia is currently ranked fourth in the ICC Test Championship behind England, South Africa and India, and led the Test rankings for a record time of 74 months from 2003 to 2009.

Australia has played 752 ODI matches, winning 464, losing 256, tying eight and with 24 ending in no-result.^[6] They have led the ICC ODI Championship since its inception for all but a period of 48 days in 2007. Australia have made record six World Cup final appearances (1975, 1987, 1996, 1999, 2003 & 2007) and have won the World Cup a record four times in total; 1987 Cricket World Cup, 1999 Cricket World Cup, 2003 Cricket World Cup & 2007 Cricket World Cup. Australia is the first team to appear in 4 consecutive World Cup finals (1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007), surpassing the old record of 3 consecutive World Cup appearances by West Indies (1975, 1979 and 1983).

The team was undefeated in 34 consecutive World Cup matches until 19 March at the 2011 Cricket World Cup where Pakistan beat them by 4 wickets.^[7] Australia have also won the ICC Champions Trophy twice – in 2006 and in 2009 – making them the first and the only team to become back to back winners in the Champions Trophy tournaments. The team has also played 39 Twenty20 Internationals,^[8] making the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2010 before losing it to England.

History

1878 team

Main article: History of the Australian cricket team

Early history

Main article: History of Australian cricket from 1876–77 to 1890

The Australian cricket team participated in the first Test match at the MCG in 1877, defeating an English team by 45 runs, with Charles Bannerman making the first Test century, a score of 165 retired hurt. Test cricket, which only occurred between Australia and England at the time, was limited by the long distance between the two countries, which would take several months by sea. Despite Australia's much smaller population, the team was very competitive in early games, producing stars such as Jack Blackham, Billy Murdoch, Fred "The Demon" Spofforth, George Bonnor, Percy McDonnell, George Giffen and Charles "The Terror" Turner. Most cricketers at the time were either from New South Wales or Victoria, with the notable exception of George Giffen, the star South Australian all-rounder.

A highlight of Australia's early history was the 1882 Test match against England at The Oval. In this match Fred Spofforth took 7/44 in the game's fourth innings to save the match by preventing England from making their 85-run target. After this match The Sporting Times, a major newspaper in London at the time, printed a mock obituary in which the death of English cricket was proclaimed and the announcement made that "the body was cremated and the ashes taken to Australia." This was the start of the famous Ashes series in which Australia and England play a Test match series to decide the holder of the Ashes. To this day, the contest is one of the fiercest rivalries in sport.

Golden Age

Main article: History of Australian cricket from 1890–91 to 1900

Main article: History of Australian cricket from 1900–01 to 1918

The so-called 'Golden Age' of Australian test cricket occurred around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, with the team under the captaincy of Joe Darling, Monty Noble and Clem Hill winning eight of ten tours it participated in between the 1897–98 English tour of Australia and the 1910–11 South African tour of Australia. Outstanding batsman such as Joe Darling, Clem Hill, Reggie Duff, Syd Gregory, Warren Bardsley and Victor Trumper, brilliant all-rounders including Monty Noble, George Giffen, Harry Trott and Warwick Armstrong and excellent bowlers including Ernie Jones, Hugh Trumble, Tibby Cotter, Bill Howell, Jack Saunders and Bill Whitty, all helped Australia to become the dominant cricketing nation for most of this period.

Victor Trumper became one of Australia's first sporting heroes, and was widely considered Australia's greatest batsman before Bradman and one of the most popular players. He played a record (at the time) number of tests at 48, and scored 3163 (another record) runs at a high for the time average of 39.04. His early death in 1915 at the age of 37 from kidney disease caused national mourning. The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, in its obituary for him, called him Australia's greatest batsman: "Of all the great Australian batsmen Victor Trumper was by general consent the best and most brilliant."^[9]

The years leading up to the start of World War I were marred by conflict between the players, led by Clem Hill, Victor Trumper and Frank Laver, the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket (formed in 1905), led by Peter McAlister, who were attempting to gain more control of tours from the players. This led to six leading players (the so-called "Big Six") walking out on the 1912 Triangular Tournament in England, with Australia fielding what was generally considered a second-rate side. This was the last series before the war, and no more cricket was played by Australia for eight years, with Tibby Cotter being killed in Palestine during the war.

Cricket between the wars

Main article: History of Australian cricket from 1918–19 to 1930

Test cricket resumed in the 1920/21 season in Australia with a touring English team, captained by Johnny Douglas losing all five Tests to Australia, captained by the "Big Ship" Warwick Armstrong. Several players from before the war, including Warwick Armstrong, Charlie Macartney, Charles Kelleway, Warren Bardsley and the wicket-keeper Sammy Carter, were instrumental in the team's success, as well as new players Herbie Collins, Jack Ryder, Bert Oldfield, the spinner Arthur Mailey and the so-called "twin destroyers" Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald. The team continued its success on the 1921 Tour of England, winning three out of the five Tests in Warwick Armstrong's last series. The side was on the whole inconsistent in the latter half of the 1920s, losing its first home Ashes series since the 1911–12 season in 1928–29.

The Bradman Era

Main article: History of Australian cricket from 1930–31 to 1945

The 1930 Tour of England heralded a new age of success for the Australian team. The team, led by Bill Woodfull – the "Great Un-bowlable" – featured legends of the game including Bill Ponsford, Stan McCabe, Clarrie Grimmett and the young pair of Archie Jackson and Don Bradman. Bradman was the outstanding batsman of the series, scoring a record 974 runs, including one century, two double centuries and one triple century, a massive score of 334 at Leeds which including 309 runs in a day. Jackson died of tuberculosis at the age of 24 three years later, after playing eight tests. The team was widely considered unstoppable, winning nine of its next ten Tests.

The 1932–33 England tour of Australia is considered one of the most infamous episodes of cricket, due to the England team's use of bodyline, where captain Douglas Jardine instructed his bowlers Bill Voce and Harold Larwood to bowl fast, short-pitched deliveries aimed at the bodies of the Australian batsmen. The tactic, although effective, was widely considered by Australian crowds as vicious and unsporting. Injuries to Bill Woodfull, who was struck over the heart, and Bert Oldfield, who received a fractured skull (although from a non-Bodyline ball), exacerbated the situation, almost causing a full-scale riot from the 50 000 fans at the Adelaide Oval for the Third Test. The conflict almost escalated into a diplomatic incident between the two countries, as leading Australian political figures, including the Governor of South Australia, Alexander Hore-Ruthven, protested to their English counterparts. The series ended in a 4–1 win for England, but the Bodyline tactics used were banned the year after.

The Australian team managed to overcome the damaging series, winning their next tour of England in 1934. The team was led by Bill Woodfull on his final tour, and was notably dominated by Ponsford and Bradman, who twice put on partnerships of over 380 runs, with Bradman once again scoring a triple-century at Leeds. The bowling was dominated by the spin pair of Bill O'Reilly and Clarrie Grimmett, who took 53 wickets between them, with O'Reilly twice taking seven wicket hauls.

Sir Donald Bradman is widely considered the greatest batsman of all time.^[10][11] He dominated the sport from 1930 until his retirement in 1948, setting new records for the highest score in a test innings (334 vs England at Headingley in 1930), the most number of runs (6996), the most number of centuries (29), the most number of double centuries and the greatest Test and first-class batting averages. His record for the highest Test batting average – 99.94 – has never been beaten. It is almost 40 runs above the next highest average. He would have finished with an average of over 100 runs per innings if he had not been dismissed for a duck in his last Test. He was knighted in 1949 for services to cricket. He is generally considered one of Australia's greatest sporting heroes.

Test cricket was again interrupted by war, with the last Test series in 1938 made notable by Len Hutton making a world record 364 for England, with Chuck Fleetwood-Smith conceding 298 runs in England's world record total of 7–903. Ross Gregory, a notable young batsman who played two Tests before the war, was killed in the war.

Cricket after World War II

Main article: History of Australian cricket from 1945–46 to 1960

The team continued its success after the end of the Second World War, with the first Test (also Australia's first against New Zealand) being played in the 1945–46 season against New Zealand. Australia was by far the most successful team of the 1940s, being undefeated throughout the decade, winning two Ashes series against England and its first Test series against India. The team capitalised on its ageing stars Bradman, Sid Barnes, Bill Brown and Lindsay Hassett while new talent, including Ian Johnson, Don Tallon, Arthur Morris, Neil Harvey, Bill Johnston and the fast bowling pair of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller, who all made their debut in the latter half of the 1940s, and were to form the basis of the team for a good part of the next decade. The team that Don Bradman led to England in 1948 gained the moniker The Invincibles, after going through the tour without losing a single game. Of 31 first-class games played during the tour, they won 23 and drew 8, including winning the five match Test series 4–0, with one draw. The tour was particularly notably for the Fourth Test of the series, in which Australia won by seven wickets chasing a target of 404, setting a new record for the highest runchase in Test cricket, with Arthur Morris and Bradman both scoring centuries, as well as for the final Test in the series, Bradman's last, where he finished with a duck in his last innings after needing only four runs to secure a career average of 100.

Australia was less successful in the 1950s, losing three consecutive Ashes series to England, including a horrendous 1956 Tour of England, where the 'spin twins' Laker and Lock destroyed Australia, taking 61 wickets between them, including Laker taking 19 wickets in the game (a first-class record) at Leeds, a game dubbed Laker's Match.

However, the team rebounded to win five consecutive series in the latter half of the 1950s, first under the leadership of Ian Johnson, then Ian Craig and Richie Benaud. The series against the West Indies in the 1960–61 season was notable for the Tied Test in the first game at The Gabba, which was the first in Test cricket. Australia ended up winning the series 2–1 after a hard fought series that was praised for its excellent standards and sense of fair-play. Stand-out players in that series as well as through the early part of the 1960s were Richie Benaud, who took a then-record number of wickets as a leg-spinner, and who also captained Australia in 28 Tests, including 24 without defeat; Alan Davidson, who became the first player to take 10 wickets and make 100 runs in the same game in the first Test, and was also a notable fast-bowler; Bob Simpson, who also later captained Australia for two different periods of time; Colin McDonald, the first-choice opening batsman for most of the 1950s and early '60s; Norm O'Neill, who made 181 in the Tied Test; Neil Harvey, towards the end of his long career; and Wally Grout, an excellent wicket-keeper who died at the age of 41.

1970s and onward

The Centenary Test was played in March 1977 at the MCG to celebrate 100 years since the first Test was played. Australia ended winning by 45 runs, an identical result to the first Test match.^[12]

In May 1977 Kerry Packer announced he was organising a breakaway competition – World Series Cricket (WSC) – after the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) refused to accept Channel Nine's bid to gain exclusive television rights to Australia's Test matches in 1976. Packer secretly signed leading international cricketers to his competition, including 28 Australians. Almost all of the Australian Test team at the time were signed to WSC – notable exceptions including Gary Cosier, Geoff Dymock, Kim Hughes and Craig Serjeant – and the Australian selectors were forced to pick what was generally considered a third-rate team from players in the Sheffield Shield. Former player Bob Simpson, who had retired 10 years previously after a conflict with the board, was recalled at the age of 41 to captain Australia against India. Jeff Thomson was named deputy in a team that included seven debutants. Australia managed to win the series 3–2, mainly thanks to the batting of Simpson, who scored 539 runs, including two centuries, and the bowling of Wayne Clark, who took 28 wickets. Australia lost the next series – against the West Indies, who were fielding a full team – 3–1, and also lost the 1978–79 Ashes series 5–1, the team's worst Ashes result in Australia. Graham Yallop was named as captain for the Ashes, with Kim Hughes taking over for the 1979–80 tour of India.Rodney Hogg still managed to take 41 wickets in his debut series, an Australian record. WSC players returned to the team for the 1979–80 season after a settlement between the ACB and Kerry Packer. Greg Chappell was reinstated as captain.

The underarm bowling incident of 1981 occurred when, in a ODI against New Zealand, Greg Chappell instructed his brother Trevor Chappell to bowl an underarm delivery to New Zealand batsman Brian McKechnie, with New Zealand needing a six to win off the last ball. The aftermath of the incident soured political relations between Australia and New Zealand, with several leading political and cricketing figures calling it "unsportsmanlike" and "not in the spirit of cricket".

Australia continued its success up until the 1980s, built mainly around the likes of Bob Simpson, the Chappell brothers, Dennis Lillee, and Rod Marsh. The 1980s was a period of relative mediocrity after the turmoil caused by World Series Cricket and the subsequent retirement of several key players, and it was not until the captaincy of Allan Border that the team was restructured. The 1990s and early 21st century were arguably Australia's most successful period, unbeaten in all Ashes series played bar the famous 2005 series and achieving a hat-trick of World Cups. This success has been attributed to the restructuring of the team and system by Border, successive shrewd captains, and the effectiveness of several key players, most notably Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. In recent years however, following the retirement of most of this group of players, Australia has lost series to both India and England and has dropped to fifth place in the ICC Test Championship rankings.

Modern Era

India

Australian captain Steve Waugh referred to India as the "Final Frontier", as that was the only place where Australia hadn't won a series in over thirty years. Australia lost in the 2001 series 2–1 and when India came to Australia for Waugh's farewell series in 2003–04, they drew the series 1–1 and came close to winning it after scoring a national record 705 but not enforcing the follow-on.

However, later in the year, the side (captained by Adam Gilchrist) won in India for the first time in 35 years. The Australians won this series 2–1 (with one match rained out on the last day).

Pakistani Tour 2004–05

The 2004–05 summer season in Australia was against the touring Pakistani cricket team which Australia won convincingly, several matches ending on the 4th day (of 5). The first Test of 2005 ended with: AUS 568 and 1/62 v PAK 304 and 325; Ponting made 207 in the first innings, laying to rest a minor media issue of him not making a Test 100 in his first season as captain.

2005 Ashes

The 2005 Ashes tour to England became a watershed event in Australian cricket when, for the first time since 1986–87 a Test series was lost to the old enemy England, and The Ashes were thus surrendered. The summer started with four defeats in one week in one day matches (to England in a Twenty20 match, Somerset in a warm up match, and then Bangladesh and England in successive One Day Internationals). Australia and England tied the final match of the first One Day International series, before Australia won the second series 2–1.

The first Test match at Lord's was a convincing victory for Australia, with Glenn McGrath impressing in particular. Captain Ricky Ponting afterwards famously said: We’ve a very good chance of winning 5–0. However at the second Test at Edgbaston star bowler Glenn McGrath was ruled out by an ankle injury after stepping on a ball in the practice nets; Ponting put England in to bat on a fair batting wicket (England scored 407 runs on the first day) and England eventually won a pulsating match by two runs and so levelled the series. England dominated the rain-affected third Test at Old Trafford, but a fine rearguard innings by Ponting just saved Australia on the final day and the match was drawn. In the fourth Test at Trent Bridge Australia were again outplayed and forced to follow-on for the first time in 191 Test matches and eighteen years. England struggled in their second innings but eventually got the 129 runs they needed to win, losing seven wickets in the process. Australia needed to win the fifth and final Test at The Oval to level the series and retain the Ashes but were hampered by bad weather, a strong England bowling performance on the fourth day and England's excellent batting (led by Kevin Pietersen and tailender Ashley Giles) on the final day before the match ended in a draw, handing England a 2–1 series win.

Ageing stars such as Hayden, Gilchrist, Martyn, Gillespie and Kasprowicz underperformed in the tour with Gillespie being subsequently dropped for new and younger talent. On the other hand Shane Warne, who took 40 wickets and scored 249 runs, gave an all-round good performance. Members of the old guard (Ponting, Langer, Lee and McGrath) also played well.

ICC Super Series

The ICC (International Cricket Council) sanctioned a test and three-match one-day series for 2005. This series was to be played between the top ranking test and One Day International nations (according to rankings as at April 2005) and an internationally selected Rest of the World XI. Australia was the top ranked nation in both forms of the game as at April 2005.

Australia had an opportunity to begin the rebuilding process following the Ashes series loss at the Super Test held against a Rest of the World team in Sydney in October. Although the match was of poor quality with the World team underperforming, it was a good opportunity for some of the Australian team to get back on track. Many did, especially Hayden who scored 111 and 87 and Gilchrist who scored 94 in the first innings and made seven dismissals. Stuart MacGill (who had not played in the 2005 Ashes) took nine wickets. Overall, the Australian Cricket Team clean swept the World XI Team 3–0 in the One Day International Series, and also won the six-day Test Match.

West Indies

In November Australia continued to perform well winning a three match Test series with the West Indies comfortably. Stars were Hayden (who was clearly intent on proving that rumours of his cricketing death were premature – he scored 445 runs at an average of 89) and Hussey who had an auspicious debut season. Gilchrist, however, was out of touch with the bat as he had been in England throughout the month.

South Africa Tour

Main article: Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2005–06

See also: Australia in South Africa, 5th ODI, 2006

In the 2006 cricket tour to South Africa, Australia lost the one-day series 3–2 after a record-breaking final ODI. Setting South Africa a world record target of 434 off 50 overs (the previous record being 398/5 scored by Sri Lanka vs Kenya 10 years previously), South Africa managed to beat Australia by 1 wicket with a new record score of 438. Earlier, Ricky Ponting top-scored with 164 off 105 balls. South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs, likewise batting at number 3, went on to score 175 off 111 balls thereby playing an instrumental role in the run chase. Many other records were broken in the same match. A total of 872 runs were scored (The previous record was 693 when India beat Pakistan by five runs in Karachi in March 2004). Mick Lewis had the ignominy of becoming the most expensive bowler in ODI history with figures of 0/113 in his 10 overs.

In the test series that followed however, Australia won convincingly with Brett Lee and Stuart Clark (Man of the Series) playing particularly well.^{[citation needed]}

Bangladesh Tour

Following the South African series, Australia toured Bangladesh for a two-test series. Despite expectations of a one-sided contest, the first test proved a very close affair with Bangladesh (historically the weakest test-playing nation) scoring more than 400 first-innings runs and bowling Australia out for 269 in the first innings on a very good batting wicket and ultimately setting Australia a challenging 307 for victory. Ponting's men were able to win this match by three wickets. However, in the second match Australia dominated throughout, winning by an innings and 80 runs. In Australia's only innings, Jason Gillespie became the first nightwatchman to score a double century with 201 not out.

2006–07 Ashes

Main article: 2006–07 Ashes series

Warne (right) bowling to Ian Bell at Brisbane Cricket Ground in 2006

After winning the ICC Champions Trophy convincingly, Australia went home for their summer to play England in a five-test series.

The first test took place in Brisbane at the Gabba. The second test took place in Adelaide from 1 December. The third match of the series was held at the WACA Ground in the West Australian city of Perth. Following the Third test victory, Australia reclaimed the Ashes, already having achieved a winning margin of 3–0 in the best of five series. England lamented the shortest period of Ashes retention in the history of the tournament, dating back to 1882. In the days following the historic win in Perth, spin bowler Shane Warne announced that he would retire from international cricket at the conclusion of the fifth and final Sydney test in January 2007. This also prompted Justin Langer, Australian opening batsmen at the time, to announce his retirement from Test cricket after the 5th test as well. Fast bowler Glenn McGrath later announced he too would retire from international cricket after the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The fourth match of the series was played at the MCG. Australia took victory in just three days, only needing one innings of batting to outscore England. The fifth match in Sydney ended with Australia capturing a 10 wicket victory. The Australians completed a 5–0 whitewash of the Ashes series, the first time either side had achieved such a feat since the 1920–21 series.

2006–07 ODI season

Following the Ashes victory over England, Australia began the 2007 Commonwealth Bank Tri-series against England and New Zealand with a series of largely comfortable victories, leading to their coach John Buchanan complaining that the lack of opposition was undermining Australia's World Cup bid.^[13] However, injuries to key players contributed to Australia losing two matches in the qualification games and the final 2–0 to an also injury hit England. With Ponting rested for the series against New Zealand, Australia under Michael Hussey lost the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 3–0, their first One Day series loss in New Zealand for 33 years. The loss also cost them the overall number one ranking for the first time since the rankings began.^[14]

2007 World Cup

Australia dominated the 2007 Cricket World Cup, remaining unbeaten through the tournament. They dominated with the bat and ball. Remarkably they lost just 42 wickets in 11 matches, while claiming 104 out of 110 of their opponents. The best batsman for the tournament was Matthew Hayden, getting three centuries and 659 runs at an average of 73. Australia's keeper Adam Gilchrist starred in the World cup Final, scoring 149 in a convincing and controversial Australian win. Bowler Glenn McGrath was named Man of the Series for his magnificent contribution with the ball.^[15]

Recent Seasons

Main article: Australian cricket team in 2007–08

Main article: Australian cricket team in 2008

Main article: Australian cricket team in 2008–09

Main article: Australian cricket team in 2009–10

HOME				AWAY
	Test	One Day International	Twenty20	Test	One Day International	Twenty20
Last match won	3rd Test v England 2010	7th ODI v England 2011	2nd T20 v England 2011	1st Test v Sri Lanka 2011	2nd ODI v Sri Lanka 2011	ICC World T20 v West Indies 2010
Last match lost	5th Test v England 2010–11	4th ODI v England 2011	1st T20 v England 2011	2nd Test v India 2010	3rd ODI v Sri Lanka 2011	2nd T20 v Sri Lanka 2011
Last series won	Pakistan 2009–10	England 2010–11	West Indies 2009–10	Sri Lanka 2011	Bangladesh 2011	New Zealand 2004–05
Last series lost	England 2010–11	Sri Lanka 2010	Only T20 Sri Lanka 2010	India 2010–11	India 2010–11	Sri Lanka 2011
–	Source:Cricinfo.com. Last Updated 7 January 2011	Source:Cricinfo.com. Last updated: 7 November 2010.	Source:Cricinfo.com. Last updated: 31 October 2010.	Source: Cricinfo.com. Last Updated 9 October 2010	Source:Cricinfo.com. Last updated: 24 October 2010.	<large>Source:Cricinfo.com. Last updated: 11 May 2010.

Upcoming fixtures

• Australia toured Sri Lanka in August 2011. 2 Twenty20 Matches, 5 One Day International Matches, 3 Test Matches playing for the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy
• Australia are currently touring South Africa in September–November 2011. 2 Twenty20 3 One Day Internationals, 2 Test Matches
• Australia will host New Zealand in December 2011. 2 Test Matches for Trans Tasman Trophy
• Australia will host India in December 2011–12 and January 2012 2 Twenty20 Matches, 4 Test Matches playing for the Border–Gavaskar Trophy and a Tri-Series with Sri Lanka
• Australia will host India &Sri Lanka a One Day International Tri-Series in February.- March 2012

Team colours

For Test matches, the team wears cricket whites, with an optional sweater or sweater-vest with a green and gold V-neck for use in cold weather. The sponsor's (currently Vodafone for Home Test Matches and Victoria Bitter for Away Test Matches) logo is displayed on the right side of the chest while the Cricket Australia coat-of-arms is displayed on the left. If the sweater is being worn the coat-of-arms is displayed under the V-neck and the sponsor's logo is again displayed on the right side of the chest.^[16] The baggy green, the Australian cricket cap, is considered an essential part of the cricketing uniform and as a symbol of the national team, with new players being presented with one upon their selection in the team. The helmet also prominently displays the Australian cricketing coat-of-arms. ASICS currently manufactures the whites and limited over uniforms, with the ASICS logo being displayed on the shirt and pants. Players may choose any manufacturer for their other gear (bat, pads, shoes, gloves, etc.).

In One Day International cricket and Twenty20 International cricket, the team wears uniforms usually coloured green and gold, Australia's national colours. There have been a variety of different styles and layouts used in both forms of the limited-overs game, with coloured clothing (sometimes known as "pyjamas") being introduced for World Series Cricket in the late 1970s. The sponsors' logos (the Commonwealth Bank for Home ODIs, KFC for Home Twenty20s and Victoria Bitter for Away ODIs and Away Twenty20) are prominently displayed on the shirts and other gears. The Current Home ODI Kit consist the primary color green and yellow the secondary. The Away Kit is the opposite of the Home Kit with yellow the primary color and green the secondary. The Home Twenty20s uniform consist of black with the natural colors of Australian green and yellow strips.^[17]

International grounds

Main article: List of cricket grounds in Australia

Eighteen different grounds in Australia have been used for international cricket (Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals). Five were only used once, during the 1992 World Cup, while three (all in Tasmania) only hosted games during 1980s World Series Cups. The main six used are:

• The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, Victoria (first used for Test cricket in 1877).
• The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney, New South Wales (first used in 1882).
• Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, South Australia (first used in 1884).
• Brisbane Cricket Ground (commonly known as 'The Gabba') in Brisbane, Queensland (first used in 1931).
• The Western Australian Cricket Association Ground (commonly known as 'The WACA') in Perth, Western Australia (first used in 1970).
• Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Tasmania (first used in 1989).

Other grounds which have been used for Test cricket are:

• The Brisbane Exhibition Ground in Brisbane, Queensland (hosted two Tests between 1928 and 1930; no longer used for cricket).
• Marrara Oval in Darwin, the Northern Territory (hosted two Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2003 and 2004).
• Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns, Queensland (hosted two Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2003 and 2004).

Grounds which have been used for One Day Internationals only are:

• The TCA Ground in Hobart, Tasmania (used for one ODI in the 1985 World Series Cup).
• The NTCA Ground in Launceston, Tasmania (used for one ODI in the 1986 World Series Cup).
• Devonport Oval in Devonport, Tasmania (used for one ODI in the 1987 World Series Cup).
• Harrup Park in Mackay, Queensland (hosted one ODI during the 1992 World Cup that was abandoned after two balls^[18]).
• Eastern Oval in Ballarat, Victoria (hosted one ODI during the 1992 World Cup).
• Manuka Oval in Canberra, ACT (hosted one ODI during the 1992 World Cup and another in the 2008 Commonwealth Bank Series).
• Berri Oval in Berri, South Australia (hosted one ODI during the 1992 World Cup).
• Lavington Sports Ground in Albury, New South Wales (hosted one ODI during the 1992 World Cup).
• Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria (hosted several ODIs, including all of Melbourne's games in 2006 when the MCG was unavailable due to the 2006 Commonwealth Games – the only indoor stadium used for cricket in Australia).

Personnel

This is a list of every player to have played for Australia in the last year, and the forms of the game in which they have played.

Each year, Cricket Australia's National Selection Panel (NSP) names a list of 25 players for the coming year, from which selectors choose Test, One-Day and Twenty20 International teams. Salaries are based on a player ranking system decided by the NSP as well as match fees, tour fees and prize money for on-field success. The base retainer for the lowest ranked player is A$200,000 in 2011–12.^[19] Uncontracted players remain eligible for selection and can be upgraded to a Cricket Australia contract if they gain regular selection.

The 2011–12 list was announced on 7 June 2011.

Key

• S/N Shirt number
• ¹ Player does not hold a Cricket Australia contract.
• ² Shane Watson is an All-Rounder who is an Opener

Name	Age	Batting Style	Bowling Style	State	Forms	S/N[20]
Test and ODI Captain; Higher Middle-Order Batsman
Michael Clarke	30	Right-Handed Bat	Slow Left Arm Orthodox	New South Wales	Test, ODI	23
Twenty20 Captain; Lower Middle-Order Batsman
Cameron White	28	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Leg-Break	Victoria	ODI, Twenty20	7
Test, ODI and T20 Vice-Captain; All Rounder
Shane Watson2	30	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast-Medium	New South Wales	Test, ODI, Twenty20	33
Opening Batsmen
Phillip Hughes	22	Left-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Off Break	New South Wales	Test	2
David Warner1	25	Left-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Leg-Break	New South Wales	Twenty20	31
Higher Middle-Order Batsmen
Usman Khawaja	24	Left-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Medium	New South Wales	Test	89
Shaun Marsh	28	Left-Handed Bat	Slow Left-Arm Orthodox	Western Australia	Test, ODI,Twenty20	9
Ricky Ponting	36	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Medium	Tasmania	Test, ODI[21]	14
Lower Middle-Order Batsmen
Callum Ferguson	27	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Medium	South Australia	ODI,Twenty20	12
David Hussey	34	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Off-Break	Victoria	ODI, Twenty20	29
Michael Hussey	36	Left-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Medium	Western Australia	Test, ODI, Twenty20	48
Wicket-Keeper-Batsmen
Brad Haddin	34	Right-Handed Bat		New South Wales	Test, ODI, Twenty20	57
Tim Paine	26	Right-Handed Bat		Tasmania	Test, ODI, Twenty20	36
All-Rounders
Steve Smith	22	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Leg-Break	New South Wales	Test, ODI, Twenty20	49
Mitchell Johnson	30	Left-Handed Bat	Left-Arm Fast	Western Australia	Test, ODI, Twenty20	25
John Hastings	26	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast-Medium	Victoria	ODI, Twenty20	41
Steve O'Keefe1	26	Right-Handed Bat	Slow left-arm orthodox	New South Wales	Twenty20	72
Pace Bowlers
Doug Bollinger	30	Left-Handed Bat	Left-Arm Fast-Medium	New South Wales	Test, ODI	4
Patrick Cummins	18	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast	New South Wales	Test, ODI, Twenty20	30
Ryan Harris	32	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast-Medium	Queensland	Test, ODI, Twenty20	45
Ben Hilfenhaus	28	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast-Medium	Tasmania	Test	20
Brett Lee	35	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast	New South Wales	ODI, Twenty20	58
James Pattinson	21	Left-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast-Medium	Victoria	Test, ODI, Twnety20	19
Peter Siddle	26	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Fast-Medium	Victoria	Test, ODI, Twenty20	10
Mitchell Starc1	21	Left-Handed Bat	Left-Arm Fast-Medium	New South Wales	ODI, Twenty20	56
Trent Copeland1	25	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Medium-Fast	New South Wales	Test
Shaun Tait	28	Right-handed bat	Right-arm Fast	South Australia	Twenty20	32
Spin Bowlers
Xavier Doherty	29	Left-Handed Bat	Left-Arm Orthodox	Tasmania	Test, ODI	3
Nathan Hauritz	30	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Off-Break	New South Wales	Test, ODI	43
Jason Krejza	28	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Off-Break	Tasmania	Test, ODI	18
Nathan Lyon1	24	Right-Handed Bat	Right-Arm Off-Break	South Australia	Test

Coaching staff

• Head Coach: Mickey Arthur
• Assistant Coach & Batting Coach: Justin Langer
• Assistant Coach & Bowling coach: Craig McDermott
• Assistant Coach & Fielding Coach: Steve Rixon
• Team Manager: Gavin Dovey
• Strength and Conditioning Coach: Stuart Karppinen
• Team Physiotherapist: Alex Kountouris
• Performance Analyst: Michael Marshall

Test match records

See also: List of Australia Test cricket records

Team

• Australia have been involved in the only two Tied Tests played. The First occurred against the West Indies at Brisbane in December 1960.^[22] The Second occurred against India at Madras in September 1986.^[23]
• Australia are also the only team to have lost a Test after enforcing the follow-on, having been the losing side in all three such matches:^[24]
  • The first Test in the 1894–95 Ashes.
  • The third Test of the 1981 Ashes.
  • The second Test in the 2000–01 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.
• Australia are the most successful Test team in cricketing history. They have won more than 330 Test matches at a rate of 47%. The next best performance is by South Africa at 35%.^[25]
• Australia's lowest total in a Test match innings was recorded at Birmingham against England in May 1902. Australia were bowled all out for 36.^[26]
• Australia's largest victory in a Test match came on 24 February 2002. Australia defeated South Africa by an innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg.^[27]
• Australia holds the record for most consecutive wins with 16. This has been achieved twice; from October 1999 to February 2001, and from December 2005 to January 2008.^[28]
• Australia shares the record for most consecutive series victories winning 9 series from October 2005 to June 2008. This record is shared with England.^[29]
• Australia's highest total in a Test match innings was recorded at Kingston, Jamaica against the West Indies in June 1955. Australia posted 758/8 in their first innings with five players scoring a century.^[30]
• Australia have won the ICC Test Championship 6 times since it started – 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Appearances

• Steve Waugh has appeared in the most Tests for Australia, playing in 168 tests. Allan Border is next with 156 matches.^[31]

Batting

See also: List of Australian Test batsmen who have scored over 5000 Test runs

• Charles Bannerman faced the first ball in Test cricket, scored the first runs in Test cricket and scored the first test century and half-century.^{[citation needed]}
• Charles Bannerman also scored 67.34% of the Australian first innings total in match 1. This record remains to this day as the highest percentage of an innings total that has been scored by a single batsman.^[32]
• Ricky Ponting has scored the most runs for Australia in Test match cricket with 12,363 runs. Allan Border in second with 11,174 runs in 265 innings while Steve Waugh has 10,927 in 260 innings.^[33]
• Ricky Ponting is the first ever Australian batsman in history to pass 12,000 Test runs.
• Matthew Hayden holds the record for the most runs in a single innings by an Australian with 380 in the first test against Zimbabwe at Perth in October 2003.
• Donald Bradman holds the record for the highest average by an Australian (or any other) cricketer with a remarkable average of 99.94. Bradman played 52 tests and struck 29 centuries and 13 fifties in them.^[34]
• Ricky Ponting holds the record for the most centuries by an Australian cricketer with 39. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh is in second position with 32 centuries from 260 innings.^[35]
• Allan Border holds the record for the most fifties by an Australian cricketer with 63 in 265 innings.^[35]
• Glenn McGrath holds the record for the most ducks by an Australian cricketer with 35 in 138 innings.^[36]

Bowling

See also: List of Australian Test bowlers who have taken over 200 Test wickets

• Billy Midwinter picked up the first five-wicket haul in a test innings in match 1.^[37]
• Fred Spofforth performed Test cricket's first hat-trick by dismissing Vernon Royle, Francis McKinnon and Tom Emmett in successive balls.^[38]
• Fred Spofforth also took the first 10-wicket match haul in Test cricket.^[38]
• Shane Warne holds the record for the most wickets by an Australian cricketer with 708 wickets in 145 Test matches.^[39]
• Arthur Mailey holds the record for the best bowling figures in an innings by an Australian cricketer with 9/121 against England in February 1921.^[40]
• Bob Massie holds the record for the best bowling figures in a match by an Australian cricketer with 16/137 against England in June 1972. That was also his first match for Australia.^[41]
• JJ Ferris holds the record for the best bowling average by an Australian bowler, taking 61 wickets at 12.70 in his career.^[41][42]
• Clarrie Grimmett holds the record for the most wickets in a test series with 44 against South Africa in 1935–36.^[43]

Fielding and wicketkeeping

• Jack Blackham performed the first stumping in Test cricket in match 1.^[37]
• Mark Waugh holds the record for the most catches in a career by an Australian fielder with 181 in 128 matches.^[44]
• Adam Gilchrist holds the record for the most dismissals in a career by an Australian wicketkeeper with 416 in 96 matches

One Day International records

• List of Australia One Day International cricket records

Team

• Australia's highest total in a One Day International innings is 434/4 scored off 50 overs against South Africa at Johannesburg on 12 March 2006. This was a world record before the South Africans surpassed this score in the second innings.^[45]
• Australia's lowest total in a One Day International innings is 70. This score has occurred twice. Once against New Zealand in 1986, and once against England in 1977.^[46]
• Australia's largest victory in a One Day International is 256 runs. This occurred against Namibia at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.^[47]
• Australia have won the ICC ODI Championship 8 times since it started – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010.^{[citation needed]}
• Australia are the only team in the history of the World Cup to win 3 consecutive tournaments dated back in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Australia were also are undefeated in the World Cup for a record 34 matches in the Tournament, the last time Australia were defeated in a World Cup match was back in 1999 against Pakistan, this streak was broken again by Pakistan in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

Appearances

• Ricky Ponting has the most One Day International appearances for Australia played 362. Steve Waugh is next with 325 matches for Australia.

Batting

See also: List of Australian ODI batsmen who have scored over 2500 ODI runs

• Ricky Ponting has the most One Day International Runs by an Australian Batman 13,291 runs.
• Ricky Ponting has the most One Day International Centuries by an Australian Batman 30 Centuries.
• Ricky Ponting has the most One Day International fifties by an Australian Batman 79 One Day International fifties.
• Ricky Ponting is the first Australian Batman his history to pass 10,000 One Day International Runs.
• Shane Watson has the highest individual score in an innings by an Australian Batsman 185*.
• Shane Watson has hit the most sixes in a single innings by an Australian and the World Record 15 sixes.

Bowling

See also: List of Australian ODI bowlers who have taken over 100 ODI wickets

• Glenn McGrath has the most One Day International Wickets by an Australian Bowler 380 Wickets.
• Glenn McGrath has the best bowling figures by an Australian Bowler 7/15.
• Brett Lee has the most 5-Wicket Hauls by an Australian Bowlers 9 times he has taken 5 wickets or more.

Fielding and Wicket-Keeping

• Adam Gilchrist has most dismissals by an Australian Wicket-Keeper with 470.
• Adam Gilchrist has the most catches taken by an Australian Wicket-Keeper with 416 catches.
• Adam Gilchrist has the most stumping made by an Australian Wicket-Keeper with 54 Stumping.
• Ricky Ponting has the most catches by a fielder 154 catches.

Tournament history

World Cup record Year Round Position GP W L T NR 1975 Second Place 2/8 5 3 2 0 0 1979 Round 1 6/8 3 1 2 0 0 1983 Round 1 6/8 6 2 4 0 0 1987 Champions 1/8 8 7 1 0 0 1992 Round 1 5/9 8 4 4 0 0 1996 Second Place 2/12 7 5 2 0 0 1999 Champions 1/12 10 7 2 1 0 2003 Champions 1/14 11 11 0 0 0 2007 Champions 1/16 11 11 0 0 0 2011 Quarter finalist 5/14 7 4 2 - 1 2015 Qualified – – – – – – 2019 Qualified – – – – – – Total Automatic Qualification at all times 4/10 76 55 19 1 0 World Twenty20 record Year Round Position GP W L T NR 2007 Semi Final 3/12 6 3 3 0 0 2009 Round 1 11/12 2 0 2 0 0 2010 Second Place 2/12 7 6 1 0 0 Total Automatic qualification at all times 0/3 15 9 6 0 0 Champions Trophy record Year Round Position GP W L T NR 1998 Qtr Final 6/9 1 0 1 0 0 2000 Qtr Final 5/11 1 0 1 0 0 2002 Semi Final 4/12 3 2 1 0 0 2004 Semi Final 3/12 3 2 1 0 0 2006 Champions 1/12 5 4 1 0 0 2009 Champions 1/8 5 4 0 0 1 Total 6 appearances 2/6 18 12 5 0 1 Under the Southern Cross I Stand Main article: Under the Southern Cross I Stand The team song is "Under the Southern Cross I Stand," which is sung by the players after every victory and "treated with reverential consideration and respect" within the team.[48] The official lyrics are as follows, though when it is sung by the players, the word "little" in the last line is replaced by "bloody" or an expletive. Under the Southern Cross I Stand A sprig of wattle in my hand, A native of my native land, Australia you little beauty.[49] The authorship of this "Under the Southern Cross I Stand" is credited to former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who was apparently inspired by Henry Lawson's 1887 poem, "Flag of the Southern Cross".[48] Marsh initially had the role of leading the team in singing it, and on his retirement he passed it on to Allan Border. The other players to have taken on the role are David Boon (when Border took over the captaincy), Ian Healy (on Boon's retirement), Ricky Ponting (on Healy's retirement), Justin Langer (when Ponting took over the captaincy). The role currently belongs to Michael Hussey, who took it on when Langer retired in January 2007. See also Cricket portal Allan Border Medal Australia A cricket team Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Australia national women's cricket team List of Australia national cricket captains List of Australia ODI cricketers List of Australia Test cricketers List of Australia Test wicket-keepers Notes ^ "Records | Test matches | Team Records | Results Summary | ESPN Cricinfo". Stats.espncricinfo.com. 4 January 2010. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283877.html. Retrieved 4 January 2011.  ^ "1st Test: Australia v England at Melbourne, Mar 15–19, 1877 | Cricket Scorecard". ESPN Cricinfo. 1 January 1970. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62396.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "Only ODI: Australia v England at Melbourne, Jan 5, 1971 | Cricket Scorecard". ESPN Cricinfo. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/64148.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "Only T20I: New Zealand v Australia at Auckland, Feb 17, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard". ESPN Cricinfo. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/engine/match/211048.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "Records | Test matches | Team Records | Results Summary | ESPN Cricinfo". Stats.espncricinfo.com. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283877.html. Retrieved 4 January 2011.  ^ "Records | One-Day Internationals | Team records | Results summary | ESPN Cricinfo". Stats.espncricinfo.com. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283878.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "World Cup day 29 as it happened". BBC News. 19 March 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/9428278.stm.  ^ "Records | Twenty20 Internationals | Team records | Results summary | ESPN Cricinfo". Stats.espncricinfo.com. http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283307.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "Victor Trumper | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials". ESPN Cricinfo. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/7980.html. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ by mohankaus (17 January 2009). "ICC’s "Best Ever" batsmen and bowlers! | i3j3Cricket :: A blog for fans of Indian cricket…". i3j3Cricket. http://i3j3cricket.com/2009/01/17/icc-best-ever-batsmen-and-bowlers/. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "The 10 Greatest Batsmen Ever". World Cricket Watch. 15 October 2009. http://worldcricketwatch.com/stories/feature/the-10-greatest-batsmen-ever/. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ Remembering the 1977 Centenary Test – The Roar. Published 1 November 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2011. ^ "Aussie cricket coach hits out at NZ". Fairfax Media. 26 January 2007. http://www.stuff.co.nz/3940321a10133.html. Retrieved 25 February 2006. [dead link] ^ "Cricket: Aussie bowlers hung out to dry over series loss". Fairfax Media. 19 February 2007. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=29&objectid=10424683. Retrieved 25 February 2006.  ^ Wilde, Simon (30 April 2007). "Top ten memories from the Cricket World Cup". Times (UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article1724715.ece. Retrieved 6 April 2006.  ^ CBC News. http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2010/12/27/ponting-ricky101227getty.jpg.  ^ ASICS unveil new uniforms – Cricket Australia. Published 4 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011. ^ "HowSTAT! Ground Statistics (ODI)". Howstat.com.au. 28 February 1992. http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Grounds/GroundStats_ODI.asp?GroundCode=123. Retrieved 14 January 2011.  ^ "Katich cut from contract list". Cricinfo. 7 June 2011. http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/518045.html. Retrieved 7 June 2011.  ^ ODI/Twenty20 shirt numbers CricInfo ^ Ricky Ponting has played Twenty20 for Australia in the past year, but has since retired from the format. Ponting retires from Twenty20 internationals ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ "Tests – Victory after Following-On". Cricinfo. http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/STATS/TESTS/RESULTS/VICTORY_AFTER_FOLLOWING_ON.html. Retrieved 2 October 2009.  ^ CricInfo Test Results by Country page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 21 October 2008 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 4 January 2009 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ "Batsmen Scoring more than 50% of Innings Total (where side dismissed)". Howstat!. http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Batting/Batting50Percent.asp. Retrieved 30 December 2010.  ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ a b CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ a b "Cricinfo". Content-aus.cricinfo.com. 1 January 1970. http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/62396.html. Retrieved 30 December 2010.  ^ a b "Cricinfo". Stats.cricinfo.com. 1 January 1970. http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/136977.html. Retrieved 30 December 2010.  ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ a b CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 10 July 2008 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ CricInfo page retrieved on 28 May 2007 ^ a b Stevenson, Andrew (2 January 2007). "Tune in for a new voice in victory". The Age (Australia). http://www.theage.com.au/news/news/tune-in-for-a-new-voice-in-victory/2007/01/01/1167500062654.html.  ^ "Cricket Australia FAQ". Cricket.com.au. http://www.cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=faq. Retrieved 30 December 2010.  External links Cricket Australia Official Facebook page.