Sport often has a way to connect people, and when it comes to the South Asian diaspora in Australia, cricket unquestionably plays a huge role in the lives of many first and second generation immigrants. Imagine you’re in the lounge room or down at the Sydney or Melbourne Cricket Grounds, cheering on India’s Virat Kohli or Australia’s Usman Khawaja during a nail-biting match. Or perhaps, upon migration, you’ve joined a local cricket club – a pathway to helping forge a sense of belonging and community in a new home.
With all of this in mind, Cricket Australia has today launched its Multicultural Ambassador Program. The organisation has named 54 people with diverse backgrounds and experience across government, business, sport, media and community as the inaugural representatives for the next two years.
Hailing from Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Indigenous Australian, Bangladeshi, Nepali, and Afghani communities, these ambassadors will be instrumental in supporting Cricket Australia’s recently-announced Multicultural Action Plan, and helping drive the plan's five focus areas of Participation, High Performance, People and Representation, Communications and Engagement, and Event and Experience.
“We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic and diverse group as Multicultural Ambassadors. Their collective leadership, expertise and passion will be instrumental in driving meaningful change and fostering a more inclusive cricketing community,” said Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley in an official press statement.
“The Multicultural Ambassador Program represents Cricket Australia's unwavering commitment to creating a sport that reflects contemporary Australian society and embraces individuals from all backgrounds. Through collaboration and collective action, the program aims to ensure that cricket remains a welcoming and inclusive sport for all.
"Our objectives are clear: to create more opportunities for multicultural members of the community to engage with cricket, break down barriers, build trust, and drive progress across."
Pakistani Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja said he was “proud” to be named one of the ambassadors, adding, “I see the sport as a bridge that connects communities and welcomes all, fostering understanding, respect, and unity.
"As a sport we need to take the next step to ensure we get a greater and more equitable representation of the community as a whole by creating opportunities, celebrating our shared love for the game, and inspiring members of all backgrounds to get involved.”
Meanwhile former Aussie cricketer and now commentator Lisa Sthalekar described the ambassador role as “an incredible honour”, especially at a time when the sport is trying to encourage more women to play cricket.
“It's a role that allows me to celebrate and promote the diversity that makes our sport so vibrant and inclusive,” she said.
"Cricket has the power to unite people from all backgrounds, and I am committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome and inspired to be a part of the game."
The full list of Multicultural ambassadors:
Peter Varghese
Gitesh Agarwal
Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM
Hon. Lisa Singh
Michelle Wade
Hon. Barry O'Farrell
Ravi Shastri
Swati Dave
Hamish Solomons
Bijaya Joshi
Saru Rana
Swarup Afsar
Aminul Islam
Sanjay Sharma
Rajendra Pandey
Wasim Akram
Amit Lohani
Rita Anwari Sultani
Fawad Ahmed
Shaniera Akram
Russel Arnold
Molina Asthana
Karina Carvalho
Kishwar Chowdhury
Kamrul Hossain Chowdhury
Preeti Daga
Sonia Sadiq Gandhi
Giles Gunesekera OAM
Rana Hussain
Johann Jayasinha
Mel Jones OAM
Kamil Khan
Pawan Luthra
Dr Ashutosh Misra
Nilesh Makwana
Sheba Nandkeolyar
Tanya Oziel
Dipen Rughani
Gönül Serbest
Anupam Sharma
Ann Sherry AO
Gurnam Singh
Giri Sivaraman
Lisa Sthalekar
Bharat Sundaresan
David Talalla
Harinder Sidhu
Jason Sangha
Tanveer Sangha
Gurinder Sandhu
Usman Khawaja
Ashley Chandrasinghe
Alana King
Ashton Agar
Ash Gardner
Hannah Darlington
Scott Boland
Darren Ganga