Aussies plan victory parade

The Australians may not have got their hands on the coveted World Cup yet but the country’s cricket board has already firmed up plans f...

The Australians may not have got their hands on the coveted World Cup yet but the country’s cricket board has already firmed up plans for victory parades here and in Melbourne.

“Our ambition is to win the World Cup, bring the team back to Melbourne and have a public event as soon as possible,” Australian Cricket Board public affairs general manager Peter Young was quoted as saying today.

“Our ambition, should everything fall in place, would be to have parades in Melbourne and Sydney,” he said, but added that any public commitment could not be made on that yet.

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When asked whether a parade would be held even if Australia make the final but lose the game, Young said he was not sure.

Should Australia overcome Sri Lanka in today’s semi final, they will take on either India or Kenya in the final on Sunday. The squad is expected to fly into Melbourne two or three days later.

Many of the players will not be able to spend too much time at home as the team leaves for a two-month tour of the West Indies on April the first.

“The players arrive in the Caribbean on the second of April and return to Australia on the second of June. They are very keen to have as much time with family as possible, and we’re very keen for them to have as much time with family as well,” Young said.

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If time was too short, he said only a single parade was likely to be held – at Melbourne.

More than 100,000 people lined the streets in 1999 to welcome home the Steve Waugh-led Australians after their triumphant World Cup campaign.