In a beautiful gesture ahead of Christmas, Cricket Australia added a seven-year-old cricket enthusiast in their 15-member squad for the Boxing Day Test. The third Test match of the ongoing four-match Test series will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting on Thursday, 27 December.

Archie Schiller was also named the co-captain of Australian team along with regular skipper Tim Paine. CA has confirmed that Archie, who suffers from a heart ailment, would co-captain the Australian team. Archie always dreamed about the Australian team and it was made by the Make-A-Wish Australia Foundation.

As per cricket.com.au report, the announcement was made on 23 December, Sunday, at the BUPA Family Day at Yarra Park.

Happy birthday Archie Schiller! The new Aussie squad member recently got a chance to meet his heroes with thanks @MakeAWishAust and he’ll rejoin his teammates on Sunday at the MCG

More about Archie HERE: https://t.co/ctXeVwWwOL #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/O0C4oDIsyh

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 22, 2018

Archie’s inclusion in Australian squad was made public earlier this month and he was informed about the same via a phone call from coach Justin Langer.

Archie, who is a leg-spinner, was also seen practising with the Australian team during a training session at the Adelaide Oval earlier this month.

When the young leg-spinner was just three-months-old, it came to light that he had faulty heart valves. Weeks after his birth Archie underwent an urgent surgery that lasted more than seven hours. Just six months after his Melbourne surgery, he underwent a second surgery before he went under the knife again in last December.

Watch out Nathan Lyon, Archie’s coming for your spot!

MORE: https://t.co/zOHu6KpvYE pic.twitter.com/PEgW1qSITd

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 23, 2018

Speaking about her son, Schiller’s mother Sarah said, “We were told that it could go either way. We’ve learned to take nothing for granted, and to cherish every day we have with him.”

“Archie (Schiller) misses a lot of schools which has a big impact on his friendships, because if you miss your turn at batting or being goal umpire (at football), there’s no second chances,” Sarah said, before adding, “The other day he came home and said ‘I couldn’t find my friends and didn’t have the energy to run after them, so I just sat and read a book’. To me that was heartbreaking, even though it was a really responsible, grown-up decision to make.”

This is good. Really good. Well done to all involved. #humanspirit https://t.co/RmyFHj4GJk

— Adam Gilchrist (@gilly381) December 23, 2018

Speaking about his young co-captain for the third Test, Paine said the decision to make Archie the skipper was their way of fulfilling his long-cherished dream.

“Obviously Arch (Schiller) has been through a really tough period and his family,” Paine said. “When his dad asked him what he wanted to do, he said ‘I want to captain Australia’. I think it’s been picked up along the way and we’re rapt to have someone like that around. He adds a bit of perspective I think.

“Sometimes we live a life, it’s very good, but you can be consumed in your own life at times, so to have someone like that around is actually really inspiring for our group. It’s great to have him around and we look forward to his debut on Boxing Day,” Paine added.