South Asian fans in Cricket Australia’s sights as it strives to be a ‘sport for all’
Two-thirds of south Asian-Australian cricketers find it challenging to find a club, according to Cricket Australia’s multicultural action plan, which calls for the body’s staff to undergo unconscious bias and cultural awareness training.
The plan – which was released on Friday in Melbourne in the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan – is the result of thousands of hours of consultation with members of local communities.
The work has been supported by three of Australian’s most prominent cricketers with south Asian backgrounds, the Pakistan-born batter Usman Khawaja, the spinner Alana King, whose parents are from Chennai, and the Indian-born former captain Lisa Sthalekar.
The plan seeks to attract fans from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other culturally diverse communities to top-level matches, and improve representation from these groups in playing, volunteering, coaching and administration within the cricket community.
The chief executive of Cricket Australia, Nick Hockley, said it “will enhance and accelerate measures already in place to ensure our game is welcoming, inclusive and fully representative of our population”.
The plan sets out objectives and actions to 2027 and highlights challenges people from south Asian backgrounds face when seeking to take part in Australian cricket.
Sixty-seven per cent of south Asian respondents to a 1,399-person Cricket Australia survey felt it was at least moderately challenging to find a club, with some of this group finding it “very challenging.” That rate was double the figure reported by other respondents.
Khawaja posted on Instagram two weeks ago saying: “I already feel my life wasn’t equal to others when I was growing up.”
Although 18% of cricketers in the pathway system have south Asian backgrounds, the proportion is just 4% for first-class cricketers.
The plan states this may “indicate a potential challenge transitioning to the next level for South Asian background players”.
Cricket Australia will run a pilot south Asian player talent camp next year.
The release of the plan is the latest milestone in cricket acknowledging shortcomings surrounding inclusivity and fairness.
A report released in June by England’s Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket found English cricket suffers from “widespread and deeprooted” racism and urgently needs reform.
Cricket Australia’s plan commits its staff to undergoing cultural awareness and unconscious bias training in the next 12 months. Almost one in five staff are from south Asian backgrounds, but the proportion for executives and cricket board members is just 2%.
The plan also emphasises the opportunities in making the game more inclusive, after games involving India attracted near-capacity crowds to the MCG at last year’s men’s T20 World
Cup.
One of the goals of the plan is to increase attendance of culturally diverse groups at cricket matches in Australia from 100,000 a year to 200,000, with particular effort on leveraging the appeal of international players in the WBBL and BBL tournaments.
The plan noted cost and weekday matches were an impediment for attendance.
Hockley said Cricket Australia’s mission was to be a “sport for all”.
“The enormous crowds at the ICC T20 World Cup provided a wonderful demonstration of cricket’s unique opportunity to bring people together and engage more Australians from South Asian backgrounds in all areas of our game – be that as players, fans, club volunteers, administrators, umpires or coaches.”
Khawaja and King issued a joint statement, saying they were “delighted” with the plan: “Creating a sense of ownership and belonging will help us to increase participation in clubs and produce more elite players.”
Pakistan is touring Australia for a three-Test series continuing on Boxing Day, and next summer India is due to undertake its first five-Test tour to Australia since 1991-92.