T20 Cricket World Cup: Australian cricket’s multicultural conundrum

He is encouraged by the progress at Cricket NSW, where an increasing number of male and female players of South Asian origin are coming through the states elite Underage pathways system.

NSW pathways manager, Nick Bills, expects three players of south Asian origin to be named in the states male metro under-19 team and six female players in the under-19 metro and country teams to play in the national championships.

At our metro academy for 15 and 16-year-olds, 30 to 40 per cent of players are from South Asian heritage, Bills said. Of the 1500 players under 16 in the Blacktown and District Cricket Association, 1400 identify as having a South Asian background.

The NSW Sheffield Shield team has had two young Cricketers of south Asian heritage, former Australian under-19 players Jason Sangha, who has captained the team, and Tanveer Sangha, no relation.

Hockley claimed that for Cricket to become more inclusive, representation had to go beyond the Cricket field.

Whether its administrative positions, particularly coaching staff, we want to make sure that people from these communities know that there is a place for them in the sport, Hockley said.

We have done a really good job on gender diversity; we actually got to do a better job on cultural diversity across clubs and associations.

NSW also has former Sri Lankan player and Coach Chandika Hathurusingha as batting coach.

Cricket NSW chairman John Knox made diversity a major issue at the states annual meeting in August.

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While Cricket NSW has led the growth and professionalism of the Womens game, which has led to extraordinary success both on and off the field, the administration of our game remains and lets all look around us now very white and very male, Knox said.

It needs to start, not just at our board, but at the administration of Clubs and associations across the state. Some among us are ahead of others but we all have some work to do here as it is critical to grow the game.

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