FIVE members of Australia's all-conquering Ashes tourists have been selected in their country's first official side for the Cathay Pacific/Wharf Holdings Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes.
The Australian Cricket Board announced their six-strong line-up yesterday for the second Sixes tournament, which will take place at the Kowloon Cricket Club on Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2.
Test match wicketkeeper Ian Healy will captain the team and is joined by the Waugh twins, Steve and Mark, young batsmen Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn and all-rounder Tony Dodemaide.
The team will be under the control of Australian coach Bobby Simpson.
The Board's chief executive officer, Graham Halbish, said last night: ''The ACB decided to send an official team to help promote the game in Hong Kong.
''The Hong Kong Cricket Association's objective has been to create a major cricket tournament to complement its cricket development programme and to raise the profile of cricket throughout the Southeast Asia region.'' And support it they have, with Victorian one-day specialist Dodemaide the only member of the six who was not in the touring party which won the recent six-Test Ashes series 4-1 .
Healy, who is tipped to take over from Allan Border as captain of the Test team next year, finished fourth in Australia's batting averages over the Ashes series, averaging 59.20 in seven innings.