Melbourne: The Australian men’s cricket team will wear an indigenous jersey for the upcoming three-match T20 series against India. The T20 series begins December 4. The design of the jersey was unveiled Wednesday by Cricket Australia (CA). The shirt continues the storytelling of the first ever Australia team to tour overseas. It happened in 1868 when a group of Aboriginal cricketers played 47 matches in the UK having made a three-month journey.
The jersey has been designed by ‘Kirrae Whurrong’ woman ‘Aunty Fiona Clarke’. She is the great great-grand daughter of Grongarrong (Mosquito), who was one of the members of the team in 1868. She has designed the original ‘Walkabout Wickets’ artwork that will feature on the front of the playing shirt. It has been co-designed by Courtney Hagen, Butchulla and Gubbi Gubbi woman and CA’s Indigenous ‘Engagement Specialist’.
The artwork represents past, present and future Aboriginal cricketers. The h the large circle represents Lord’s and the smaller circles signify the team’s various meeting places during that tour, CA said.
Australia’s women’s team wore a shirt with similar artwork earlier this year. ‘Walkabout Wickets’ logo has been a feature on Test shirts and Indigenous shirts have featured in the WBBL and BBL, according to a report in ‘ESPNcricinfo’.
India’s tour of Australia will commence with the three ODIs at the Sydney Cricket Ground (November 27, 29) and Manuka Oval, Canberra (December 2). That will be followed by the three T20Is at Manuka Oval, Canberra (December 4) and the SCG (December 6, 8).
The two teams will then compete in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It will start with the pink-ball Test in Adelaide from December 17. It will be followed by Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26), the SCG (January 7) and the Gabba (January 15).