Cricket news: Stars call for Australia Day change, Usman Khawaja, Ash Gardner, schedule


Australian cricket stars have hit out at the governing body after matches were scheduled to take place on January 26 next year.

While still known as Australia Day, the calls for the date to be changed have only grown stronger in recent times.

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Now two of Australia’s biggest stars have hit out after Cricket Australia released its summer of cricket schedule on Monday.

Australia will square off against the West Indies, playing the first day-night Test at the Gabba in five years.

The Test commences on January 25, meaning the second day of the Test will fall on Australia Day.

Usman Khawaja said he was fine playing cricket on the day, but called for the date of Australia Day to be changed.

Fellow star Ash Gardner slammed the scheduling, saying no sport should be played on what is a “day of mourning”.

Pakistan-born Khawaja said the date of Australia Day should be moved to a date that “caters for all parts of Australia”.

“We should celebrate it on a day that caters for all parts of Australia, and I’m big on that in Australian cricket too,” he said.

“You’ve got First Nations people, we’ve got myself (who are) immigrants who’ve come to Australia.

“We do need to look at it. I think it doesn’t matter when you celebrate Australia Day – the reasons you’re celebrating Australia Day are more important.

“You’re celebrating for Australia, celebrating for you, celebrating for me, celebrating it for First Nations people, celebrating for all the multicultural communities we have across Australia.

“We’re all immigrants here, other than First Nations people, so for me, Australia Day is a beautiful day and I honestly believe it should be celebrated on another day.”

Gardner didn’t pull any punches when she spoke about Cricket Australia scheduling a match on Australia Day.

“I just don’t understand why this one day of the year – which is a day of mourning, which doesn’t have a very good history of what happened on that day, that there needs to be cricket,” she said to CODE Sports.

“I see sport as a celebration and entertainment and an event you want to go to. Why does there need to be something that represents something that’s quite morbid.

“It’s probably not overly appropriate.”

Gardner believes the most powerful message the sport can send is to not play on January 26 at all.

“I understand the education piece and I think it’s super important. But I remember we had these discussions leading up to January 26 earlier this year around getting an elder to come and do a Welcome to Country,” Gardner said.

“That’s probably the one day of the year an elder will not do that. If you understand the meaning of what the Welcome to Country is, you’re welcoming people onto your land. Welcoming people onto stolen land is probably not appropriate.

“Everyone just goes, ‘oh someone can do an Acknowledgement of Country’ – well it’s not the same thing.”

Australian captain Meg Lanning says she fully supports star teammate Ash Gardner‘s stance that it’s “not overly appropriate” to play on January 26.

“I’m fully supportive of Ash and her stance, as is the team,” she said.

“We understand it’s a very sensitive issue for a lot of people. The scheduling is a little bit out of control of the players’ hands.

“As a group we are undertaking a lot of education around Indigenous culture and trying to learn as much as we can and will continue to do that.

“We’ll leave the scheduling to those who make those decisions and make sure we are in the best position to understand what’s happening.”

2023-24 SUMMER OF INTERNATIONAL CRICKET

Women’s T20I Series vs West Indies

1 October: North Sydney Oval, Sydney

2 October: North Sydney Oval, Sydney (N)

5 October: Allan Border Field, Brisbane (N)

Women’s ODI Series vs West Indies

8 October: Allan Border Field, Brisbane

12 October: Junction Oval, Melbourne

15 October: Junction Oval, Melbourne

Women’s T20I Series vs South Africa

27 January: Manuka Oval, Canberra

28 January: Manuka Oval, Canberra

30 January: Blundstone Arena, Hobart (N)

Women’s ODI Series vs South Africa

3 February: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)

7 February: North Sydney Oval, Sydney (D/N)

10 February: North Sydney Oval, Sydney (D/N)

Women’s Test Match vs South Africa

15-18 February: WACA Ground, Perth

Men’s Test Series v Pakistan

14-18 December: Perth Stadium, Perth

26-30 December: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

3-7 January: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Men’s Test Series vs West Indies

17-21 January: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

25-29 January: The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N)

Men’s ODI Series vs West Indies

2 February: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne (D/N)

4 February: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (D/N)

6 February: Manuka Oval, Canberra (D/N)

Dettol Men’s T20I Series vs West Indies

9 February: Blundstone Arena, Hobart (N)

11 February: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (N)

13 February: Perth Stadium, Perth

Tour Matches

28 September: NSW Women vs West Indies Women, Wilson Park, Sydney

6-9 December: PMs XI Men vs Pakistan, Manuka Oval, Canberra

10-13 January: CA XI vs West Indies, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

24 January: Governor-General’s XI vs South Africa, North Sydney Oval, Sydney



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