New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS): Former cricketer Adam Gilchrist was on Thursday appointed Australia's first education ambassador to India.

Australian Education Minister Christopher Pyne made the announcement prior to attending the annual Ministerial Dialogue and third Australia-India Education Council meeting in India on August 24.

"I am delighted to announce Mr. Adam Gilchrist as the first Australia-India Education Ambassador. Adam will play an important part in supporting the growth in the strong bilateral education relationship between Australia and India to help ensure that Australia continues to be seen as a high quality provider of education," Pyne said.

"The Indian people recognise Adam as one of cricket's greats and the values he espouses both on and off the field - excellence and integrity - are precisely those with which Australia aligns its reputation for high-quality education, training and research."

The former wicketkeeper-batsman said he was excited about his new role.

"I am honoured to have been chosen to perform this important role in helping strengthen education ties between our two countries. For the past seven years in my capacity as an ambassador at one of Australia's best research universities, I have seen first-hand the vital role education plays in the development of modern India," Gilchrist said.

"Having spent so much of my cricketing career playing in India, I have gotten to understand the important bond Australia has with India. Being Australia's first education ambassador to India will give me the opportunity to put so much back into that relationship through the all-important focus of learning and training."