Sydney: After an absence of nine long years, Cricket Australia (CA) today announced the reintroduction of its historic inter-state first-class competition Sheffield Shield.

The Sheffield Shield was introduced in the 1892-93 season as a four-day competition between the Australian states.

The Shield was played for every year until 1999-2000 when it was controversially replaced by a Pura Milk Cup bearing a sponsor's name.

However, after that sponsorship was not renewed, Cricket Australia (CA) decided to reintroduce the Sheffield Shield for the start of the next domestic season.

The Sheffield Shield in its new avatar will be presented by Weet-Bix - a health food company.

Cricket Australia (CA), Chief Executive Officer, James Sutherland, who represented Victoria in Sheffield Shield cricket in the nineties said he was thrilled with the new partnership.

"Cricket Australia is passionate about bringing back the history and tradition of the Sheffield Shield and we are appreciative of Weet-Bix for giving us the opportunity to do this," he said.

"This interstate first-class competition is most certainly the foundation upon which our number one ranked Australian Test team has been built," a elated Sutherland said.

Agencies 

Tags: australia, ca, inter-state competition, sheffield shield, pura milk cup, sutherland, weet-bix.