TRANSCRIPT
(Sound effect – cricket match)
The sound of a cracking pull-shot from a promising young cricketer.
It's featured in a scene of inclusion which Usman Khawaja says he wants to see expanded around the country.
“Unless you're a past player, unless you've been in the system before, it's so hard to crack this system. It's self-perpetuating, and the issue is that for a long time, cricket in Australia has been a very white dominated sport.”
Towards that end, Cricket Australia has announced its multicultural action plan, which is aimed at fostering inclusion.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles says everyone needs to feel as if they have a place in what he dubbed as the nation's sport.
“Cricket is our national game, and it must be a game that's for absolutely everyone. This is a document that really takes a big step towards that. By listening to the voices of participants in cricket around the country and understanding what it is that we can do to ensure that this game is inclusive of everyone.”
In its latest multicultural action plan, the governing body has set out 10 key actions, which includes increasing funding support to improve representation in roles such as coaching and umpiring across all levels.
Funding will be available to all multicultural groups to help drive participation, attendance and engagement.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley concedes the game needs to be more welcoming, inclusive and fully representative of the population.
“We've made great progress. particularly around the pathways. And particularly kids from South Asian backgrounds are playing at junior levels but we're under no illusions that we've got a huge amount of work to do, to make sure that Australian cricket genuinely represents the community we serve.”
But at a game to promote multicultural inclusion, the focus was instead on Khawaja's disagreement with the cricket bosses.
Just days after a victory over Pakistan in which Khawaja starred with the bat, cricket's world body has charged the Australian for wearing a black armband.
Earlier, he wore shoes with messages reading 'all lives are equal' and 'freedom is a human right'.
He says he wore the armband for a different reason.
“The ICC asked me on day two what it was for. I told them it was for a personal bereavement. I never stated it was for anything else. The shoes were a different matter, I'm happy to say that, but the armband made no sense to me.”
Usman Khawaja is set to join the rest of the Australian team in taking to the field here for the Boxing Day test in a matter of days.
He says the prospect of him wearing the black armband again for this match, has already been ruled out.
“I think from my point of view all I ask for from the ICC is just consistency. I think there's been plenty of people who've not had permission to wear stuff in the past. And for me, I was very clear and open about the armband, it's what I'm getting reprimanded for.”
The star cricketer has also received support from the Prime Minister.
“The position that he put forward is one that I think is uncontroversial. One that all lives are equal is a sentiment that I think is uncontroversial. And I think that he is someone who plays a really important role.”
The complex dispute remains unresolved ahead of the Boxing Day test.
