Seccombe called up for UK tour

Queensland Bulls wicketkeeper Wade Seccombe has been called into Australia's squads for the forthcoming one-day international and Test tours of the United Kingdom, it was announced today.

Seccombe, 29, was called up after the Australian Cricket Board's (ACB) Directors agreed to a request from the Australian selectors that a second gloveman accompany the sides.

The selectors' request came as they assessed the impact of more than three months of continuous cricket, including a maximum of 21 matches, on the one 'keeper in the original squads, vice-captain Adam Gilchrist.

Several options were examined, including placing a 'keeper on stand-by back in Australia or having one play club cricket in the UK so that he would be available at short notice.

Ultimately, the ACB's Directors concluded the most appropriate thing to do would be to add a second 'keeper as a full-time member of the touring party, and Seccombe was chosen to fill that role.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said: "When we announced the touring parties last month, we said that we would continue to think about the likely workload facing Adam Gilchrist.

"We did that and the decision to include Wade in the touring parties was the conclusion."

Hohns added: "Wade has been a key component in Queensland's success over the past few years and fully deserves his call-up."

Seccombe played for Australia A last summer, and has been part of the Queensland Bulls side that has won back-to-back Pura Cup titles in the past two seasons.

Wade Seccombe said: "This is fantastic news for me. Touring the UK and being part of an Ashes squad is the dream of every Australian cricketer so this really is a dream come true."

Seccombe has played 69 first-class matches up to the end of the current domestic season, scoring 2089 runs at an average of 25.16 with two hundreds and five fifties.

Behind the stumps, he has claimed 325 catches and 14 stumpings.

The Australian one-day squad departs for the UK via Gallipolli on Saturday 26 May.

It will play a maximum of seven one-day internationals against England and Pakistan in the triangular NatWest Series, starting against Pakistan in Cardiff on 9 June, with the final set to take place at Lord's on 23 June.

The five-Test Ashes series, sponsored by npower, starts at Edgbaston on 5 July, with other matches at Lord's (19 - 23 July), Trent Bridge (2 - 6 August), Headingley (16 - 20 August) & The Oval (23 - 27 August).