Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has turned the flamethrower on Cricket Australia for its decision to cancel all forms of the sport on Australia Day from 2025 and consult Indigenous groups about how to mark January 26.
Cricket fans across the nation won’t see any team in green and gold playing on Australia Day in 2025 with the team’s closest Test match to commence on January 29 against Sri Lanka.
It comes after Cricket Australia pledged not to mention the words ‘Australia Day’ during the Gabba Test in Brisbane earlier this year when the second day of the Test against the West Indies fell on the national holiday.
Now the shadow Indigenous Australians minister has slammed Cricket Australia and told organisers to ‘stick to sport and stay out of politics’.
‘Why is it that all of a sudden … Cricket Australia and groups like this have to turn around and say, oh, we better consult a group of Indigenous Australians?’ Senator Price asked on Sky News.
‘How about the fans of cricket right across the country?’
Shadow Indigenous Australians minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has slammed Cricket Australia for its handling of Australia Day fixtures
Australia will not play Test matches or any other form of cricket on the national public holiday next year (pictured, left to right: Test stars Steve Smith, Mitch Marsh and Alex Carey)
Senator Price also challenged Cricket Australia by asking who was consulted before the decisions around the national day were made.
‘Which Indigenous Australians are you going to consult?’ she asked.
‘Those who were in favour of activism and changing the date of Australia Day?
‘Or those who are proud to call themselves Australian in this country, who voted No during the referendum, who are sick to death of the separatism and being painted as victims constantly?’
However, Cricket Australia bosses say the decision has nothing to do with previous controversies that have unfolded in and around the national public holiday.
The Australian Open men’s singles final is set down for the night of the 26th next year, and is always a TV ratings bonanza.
Tennis’s showpiece is one of the chief reasons Cricket Australia has elected to stage the Big Bash Final on January 27 – which is a public holiday in 2025.
Broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel Seven have backed the governing body’s decision.
Australia Day has become a divisive issue, with protestors launching a demonstration outside Brisbane’s Gabba ground on January 26 this year (pictured)
Cricket fans across the nation won’t be able to see any fixtures on Australia Day next year – but the sport’s bosses say the decision has nothing to do with past controversies that have unfolded leading into January 26 (pictured, skipper Pat Cummins)
‘We determined January 27 was the best date for the BBL final this season as it would give as many fans as possible the chance to attend or watch one of Australian sport’s great occasions,’ a Cricket Australia spokesman told News Corp.
‘We make our scheduling decisions based on the best interests of fans and do not rule out playing on any day in the future.’
Scheduling the Test over the Australia Day weekend was itself controversial in the eyes of some, with women’s all-rounder Ash Gardner – who is Indigenous – previously describing it as a day of ‘hurt and mourning.’
Gardner found support from men’s Test captain Pat Cummins and star batter Steve Smith.
Both claimed January 26 is not an appropriate time to celebrate the national holiday, with the date a highly controversial issue due to the landing of the First Fleet from Britain in Australia.
Smith formed his view after chatting with teammate Scott Boland, who has Indigenous heritage.
The stance of the cricketers angered some sections of the public at the time, with 3AW Morning host Tom Elliott scathing in his criticism of Cummins.
‘He makes me angry,’ Elliott said.
‘He sits there and pontificates, saying, ah, well, Australia Day is a source of hurt for so many people, we have to move the date.
‘Hey, Pat Cummins, you get paid millions of dollars to pay cricket. If it wasn’t for the British settlement of Australia there wouldn’t be cricket here.
‘So you make money, quite directly, out of the fact we were colonised by the UK.
‘Then you sit there criticising the whole thing. He is just an out-and-out hypocrite.’
In what has been a polarising move dating back to 2021, Cricket Australia has not mentioned the words ‘Australia Day’ in any of its marketing or promotions events.
