A WIRRAL cricketer will captain England's learning disability cricket squad on a forthcoming tour of Australia.

Chris Edwards is one of 13 high performance athletes selected as ambassadors for the UK Sports Association's project, My Sport, My Voice!

He will captain the squad taking part in the Inas International Cricket Series, which begins in Melbourne on Tuesday, March 17.

The 22-year-old from Wallasey said: “It's an honour to be selected as an ambassador for the My Sport, My Voice! campaign as this gives me a platform to promote Learning Disability Cricket and encourage other people with a learning disability to play the sport I love.

"The Inas International Cricket series is an exciting opportunity to not just play Australia in Australia, but to also look to beat them.

"This tour, like all tours is important to concentrate on just playing to the best of our ability. It is an honour to be able to play for England and travel the world playing cricket."

Thanks to funding from Spirit of 2012, a trust set up to sustain the spirit and opportunities from the London 2012 Games, My Sport, My Voice! aims to raise the profile of the UK’s elite athletes with learning disability by providing a platform to showcase their sporting achievements and inspire others to succeed.

The Athlete Ambassadors who are leading the project have all excelled in their chosen sport at the highest level and have been chosen from each country of the UK.

Ian Martin, head of disability cricket for England and Wales Cricket Board, said: "I am delighted to hear the exciting news Chris has been selected as an Ambassador for the My Sport, My Voice! campaign.

" Chris is a wonderful leader, cricketer, sportsman and teammate and thoroughly deserve this honour.

"The boys are currently in Australia preparing for the Inas International series against Australia, starting next week, which is always a big challenge for an English Cricket Team taking on Australia on their home soil.

"The squad are looking good and have been working very hard in preparation for this tour, which will be a very important and exciting series for Chris who will lead the squad as captain for the first time."