Australia, S.Africa teams hosted by PM Albanese ahead of Sydney Test

SYDNEY: The Australian and South African Men's cricket teams on Sunday attended the annual New Year's Day Reception co-hosted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon at Kirribilli House in Sydney.

The event was held ahead of the third and final Test Match between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting on January 4. After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the afternoon tea is an annual tradition for the Prime Minister to host the Australian Men's cricket team and their touring opponent at Kirribilli House on New Year's Day.

Australia leads the Test series 2-0 after sealing the series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Both teams will be looking to advance their chances of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) in the final match of the series at Sydney, which will also be the host for the annual Pink Test.

"Cricket has a long tradition of welcoming touring teams from around the globe to our shores and we thank the Prime Minister and Ms Haydon for resuming the annual New Year's Day Reception at Kirribilli House. It is a great day on the cricketing calendar and leads into the special Sydney Pink Test Match.

"Cricket can be proud of the contribution it has made in supporting the McGrath Foundation and the incredible work they do to fund breast care nurses around Australia. We thank the South African team for their support of the Pink Test and look forward to another hard-fought contest at one of world cricket's most iconic venues, the SCG," said Dr Lachlan Henderson, Cricket Australia Chair.

Players and their families from both teams were joined by former Australia fast-bowler Glenn McGrath and representatives of the McGrath Foundation, the official charity partner of the Sydney Pink Test.

Since 2009, Cricket Australia, the Sydney Cricket Ground and the McGrath Foundation have worked together to make the Sydney Test one of the biggest charitable sporting events in the world.

Thanks to the generosity of the cricket community over the last 15 years, the Test has helped raise more than $17 million to fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses across Australia.

"It's great to be back at Kirribilli House in preparation for the Sydney Pink Test, my favourite event of the year. We're incredibly grateful to both the Australian and South African Men's Cricket Teams for getting behind the Pink Test, our partners Cricket Australia and the SCG as well as the broader Australian public."

"It's only through this incredible support that we can continue to raise much needed funds to ensure no one with breast cancer misses out on the care of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse," said McGrath.