Peter Siddle and Dan Christian set to captain Prime Minister's XI

Peter Siddle and Dan Christian will make history when they take the reins in the Prime Minister's XI's clash with Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval on October 24.

Officials are desperate to lure fans back to what was once Canberra's showpiece event after a record low of 1824 turned out for the fixture last summer.

The pair are set to become the first co-captains in the concept's 48-match history and Allsopp hopes they will combine to boost the profile of the contest following a serious lack of promotion by the governing body last year.

The Prime Minister's XI clash will revert to the Twenty20 format with Sri Lanka using the fixture as a launching pad for their three-match Twenty20 series with Australia.

"It's really important. With the quality of people they have selected as captains, they will be really committed to actually helping to promote the game," Allsopp said.

"From a local point of view, we have said for the past 12 months we really want to reinvigorate the game that has been Canberra's staple on the cricket calendar for many years.

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"It has obviously got so many important political ramifications that we want to ensure it is well promoted, well marketed and our community know the game is on so they will go out and support a really exciting night of cricket.

"It was disappointing [with a poor crowd last season], but 12 months before against England it was almost a full house. We know people will come out and watch a quality game.

"It's almost the soft launch for the Australian men's cricket summer too, it's the first game broadcast for the season, it's going to be a Twenty20 game midweek.

"It means families and people from different business sectors can come out after work and support the game.

"Twelve days later there is the first ever Twenty20 international [in Canberra], so it really is a great platform to launch what is a really exciting program for cricket in Canberra this year."

Allsopp says captains being named five weeks out from the game will give Cricket Australia officials the chance to build a side featuring marquee players and future international stars with a local flavour.

The Prime Minister's XI fixture looms as the "perfect platform" to launch a bumper festival of short-format cricket in Canberra boasting nine Twenty20 internationals rounded out by the women's short-format World Cup in February.

Three Big Bash matches will be wedged in between the international fixtures, with the Sydney Thunder working to bring a WBBL game and two BBL matches to the city.

PRIME MINISTER'S XI

Thursday, October 24: Twenty20 tour match - Prime Minister's XI v Sri Lanka at Manuka Oval, 7.10pm. Tickets from Ticketek.

Peter Siddle: He may well have played his final Test for Australia during the recent Ashes series abroad.

But to completely put a line through his name would be absurd, for he would relish another chance to test himself against international opposition.

The 34-year-old fast bowler is not one to give in, and would undoubtedly play a key role if this game goes down to the wire.

By the numbers: 67 Tests, 221 wickets at 30.66; 20 one-day internationals, 17 wickets at 43.70; two Twenty20 internationals, three wickets at 19.33.

Dan Christian: If a good leader leads by their actions, look no further than this veteran.

Not even a dodgy prawn that saw him hospitalised with gastro on the morning of a game could stop the man from orchestrating a match-winning knock in the BBL last summer.

Christian has played in 293 Twenty20 matches throughout his career and has just linked up with the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League.

By the numbers: 19 one-day internationals, 273 runs at 21, 20 wickets at 29.75; 16 Twenty20 internationals, 27 runs at 6.75, 11 wickets at 28.81.