Cricketing legend Jason Gillespie says he’s a massive fan of .
But the former Australian fast bowler wants to see the tournament grow and expand.
The National Indigenous Cricket Championships have been taking place on Yuwi Country at Harrup Park, which has been developed into one of the premier cricketing facilities in Queensland.
“This is just one of the most wonderful facilities I’ve seen in Australia,” Gillespie said.
“We’re very fortunate in this country to have places like Mackay, that can put on a tournament like this.”
This year, eleven state teams took part in the tournament; a women’s Australian Indigenous side will be selected for an International Tour in June.
Gillespie believes the NICC is a great starting point for player development, but he’d like to see the event go to the next level.
“This championship is absolutely fantastic, I just want to see more of it, because it’s really cool.
“These tournaments are a great start to play against good quality opposition.
“In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have an Indigenous champs once a year, make it two!”
Gillespie says he’d like to see a high-performance approach taken to finding Indigenous talent.
“Maybe have some talent identification camps and alike, that could really showcase First Nations players and give them more pathways.
“I think that could play a real role in helping develop First Nations players, and just give them a platform to showcase their skills."
Gillespie was the first Indigenous man to play for the Australia Test team.
The 49-year-old played 71 Test matches over a career that spanned a decade.
He says cricket offers players something other sports can’t.
“You can play internationally," he said.
“That’s where cricket probably has an advantage.
“It’s not just state cricket, BBL, cricket for Australia. You can go and play in the various tournaments and leagues around the world.
“You can play County Cricket, you can play League Cricket in the UK.
“There’s a lot of avenues ... to pursue.”
Gillespie said his son was thrilled to be taking part in the National Indigenous Cricket Championships.
“It’s a massive learning curve for my boy Jacko,” the Kamilaroi man said.
“He loves his cricket and is very excited about it, and wants to play at the highest level he possibly can.
“But this is a really good starting point, he’ll learn a lot and play against some really good cricketers.
“He’s found it a bit of a challenge at times but that’s part of the journey isn’t it.
“He’s just got a massive smile on his face, I had dinner with him last night, he’s beaming from ear to ear.”
