ISLAMABAD Octr 26: Australia is to host its first Twenty20 match next January when the Australia A side take on Pakistan in Adelaide.

Launched to wide acclaim in English domestic cricket the 20-over format has already transferred to South Africa.

According to reports available on a cricket website, the senior Australia team will play a Twenty20 international on their Ashes tour of England next June.

Cricket Australia has an ongoing commitment to explore new innovations at the elite level," said Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland.

I'm sure this exhibition game will provide an opportunity for fans, sponsors and administrators alike, to have a closer look at the concept of 20-over cricket."

The competition has proved such a success in England that the Group stage for 2005 has been expanded to see each team playing eight matches. New Zealand are to play the first men's Twenty 20 international against Sri Lanka in January but the International Cricket Council has yet to adopt the format widely. And Sutherland played down speculation that Australia would Launch its own domestic Twenty20 competition.

Our current priority is to develop cricketers for international competition and, at this stage, such a format does not exist in the international arena," he added.

Naturally however, if this changes and international Twenty20 cricket becomes a reality, we will want to be the number one nation at it."

However, Australia A regular Greg Blewett said recently that he believes it is only a matter of time before the game moves onto a bigger stage. He said: "I reckon there will be a Twenty20 World Cup at some stage but it will have to infiltrate other countries first.

With it being so popular in England and South Africa, though, it's probably only a matter of time before it catches on."

Mike Deare, chief executive of the host South Australian Cricket Association, was thrilled at the scheduling of the 13 January match, which will be televised nationally.

It is exciting cricket to watch and we're sure it will entertain Australian cricket fans as much as it has for English fans in the UK," he said.-PPI