Australian Indigenous cricket team to play ODIs, T20s in India

Australia's High Commissioner to India, Peter Varghese, on Friday welcomed the Cricket Australia's National Indigenous Development Squad on their first tour of India as part of Oz Fest, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever staged in India.

"From 14 to 26 October, the team will play a combination of One-day and Twenty20 matches against local Indian teams in Mumbai and Pune, including a match against the prestigious Cricket Club of India," Varghese said in a statement.

"The team will also raise awareness of Australian indigenous culture and history through a series of community and cultural exchanges in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune," he added.

Australia's Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will also join the team members in Delhi for a cricket clinic hosted by NGO Magic Bus.

Players will attend the opening night concert for Oz Fest in Delhi on October 16 and will walk the red carpet for the premiere of cricket comedy 'SAVE YOUR LEGS' at the Mumbai Film Festival on October 21.

At the Festival, the team will also attend the screening of 'The Sapphires', an inspirational tale set in the heady days of the late 1960s about a quartet of young, talented singers from a remote Aboriginal community who travel to Vietnam to entertain American troops during the Vietnam War.

The Indigenous Development Squad comprises the brightest talent from the 2012 Imparja Cup, CA's national indigenous tournament.

The team's Indian tour is an opportunity for players to develop their skills as cricketers and as ambassadors for Australia and their sport.

Captain Josh Lalor said the team is excited about coming to India.

"The tour is a fantastic opportunity for members of the squad to come to a vastly different part of the world. Travelling to India goes beyond what we'll do on-field. The cultural experiences we'll encounter will develop the group both personally and professionally," Lalor said.