Chinese Baseball reaches out to Australia

An Australian baseball team comprising some of the country's finest emerging talent has been invited to compete in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

The CPBL has given the go-ahead for an Australian team to participate in a four-team minor league in the second half of their 2019 season.

Australian officials believe the Taiwan-based CPBL will provide opportunities, exposure and good-standard competition for developing players.

The season runs from around April to September and doesn't clash with the Australian Baseball League schedule.

The minor League is a feeder competition to the four-team CPBL major league, considered one of the top domestic leagues in world baseball.

"Our goal remains to be part of the CPBL's major league," Baseball Australia chief executive officer Cam Vale said.

"We will make a decision regarding the CPBL's minor league offer in February 2019 once we receive the official terms and conditions from the CPBL."

The name and other details of the new team will follow soon after BA gives their approval.

Australia's willingness to forge closer links with other nations will be underlined when the new ABL season starts next week.

Joining the competition are New Zealand's Auckland Tuatara and Geelong Korea, whose roster will be made up entirely of South Korean players.