Event technical committee confirms two changes in squads

The ICC has confirmed the event technical committee of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 has approved a change in both the Australia and New Zealand squads for the tournament.

Doug Bollinger will replace Nathan Bracken in the Australia side while James Franklin will replace Jacob Oram for New Zealand. Bracken was forced out of the squad with a right knee injury while Oram has sustained a strain to his left hamstring.

The confirmations of Bracken?s and Oram?s replacements were conveyed to Cricket Australia (CA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on behalf of the committee today (Friday).

Bollinger, the 28-year-old left-arm fast bowler from New South Wales, played all his three ODIs against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi after making his Test debut against South Africa at Sydney earlier this year. All his five wickets came in his second ODI in the United Arab Emirates? capital where he finished with 5-35 in Australia?s eight-wicket victory.

Franklin, the 28-year-old from Wellington, has played in 26 Tests and 65 ODIs taking 80 and 64 wickets respectively. His last ODI was against Sri Lanka at Jamaica in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies where he took 2-46 in his side?s 81-run loss in the first semi-final.

The event technical committee of the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 consists of David Richardson (ICC General Manager ? Cricket and event technical committee chairman), Don McIntosh (tournament director), Campbell Jamieson (representative of IDI, the ICC?s commercial arm which runs major ICC events), Mike Gajjar (CSA representative), Sanjay Manjrekar (independent nomination) and Nick Knight (independent nomination).

Australia opens its title defence against the West Indies at The Wanderers on Saturday 26 September while New Zealand?s second match in the tournament is on Sunday 28 September against Sri Lanka at The Wanderers.