Two-thirds of South Asian-Australian cricketers are struggling to find a club, according to Cricket Australia’s multicultural action plan, which urges panel staff to undergo training on unconscious bias and cultural awareness.
The plan– which was released in Melbourne on Friday ahead of the Boxing Day test against Pakistan- is the result of thousands of hours of consultation with members of local communities.
The work was supported by three of the most prominent Australian cricketers of South Asian origin, Pakistani-born batsman Usman Khawaja, spinner Alana King whose parents are from Chennai and Indian-born former captain Lisa Sthalekar.
The Plan aims to attract Fans from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other culturally diverse communities to high-level matches and to improve the representation of these groups in the game, volunteering, coaching and administration within the Cricket community.
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Nick Hockley said he would “enhance and accelerate pre-existing measures to ensure our game is welcoming, inclusive and fully representative of our population”.
The Plan sets out goals and actions by 2027 and highlights the challenges that people of South Asian origin must face if they want to participate in Australian Cricket.
Sixty-seven per cent of South Asian respondents to a survey of 1,399 people by Cricket Australia found it at least moderately difficult to find a club, with some in this group finding it “very difficult”.”This rate was double that indicated by the other respondents.
Khawaja posted on Instagram two weeks ago and said: “I already feel like my life was not on par with others growing up.”
Although 18% of the cricketers in the Pathway system are of South Asian descent, the proportion among first-class cricketers is only 4%.
The Plan states that this “could indicate a potential challenge that goes to the next level for South Asian background players”.
Cricket Australia will hold a pilot project for the talents of South Asian players next year.
The publication of the plan is the recent step in Cricket recognising the gaps in inclusivity and fairness.
A report published in June by the English independent commission on justice in Cricket found that English cricket suffered from “widespread and deeply rooted” racism and was in desperate need of reform.
Cricket Australia’s Plan requires its employees to undergo cultural awareness and unconscious bias training over the next 12 months. Almost one in five employees is from South Asia, but the proportion of Cricket executives and Board members is only 2%.
