T20 World Cup 2022: Australia unveil jersey inspired by indigenous thinking

The
team’s
kit
was
revealed
by
Cricket
Australia
on
their
Twitter
handle
on
Wednesday
(September
14).

The
uniform
was
created
by
Aunty
Fiona
Clarke
and
Courtney
Hagen
in
partnership
with
Asics;
the
two
have
previously
collaborated
on
other
Indigenous
designs
worn
by
Australia.

The
hosts
will
don
an
Indigenous-inspired
jersey
for
the
first
time
at
a
World
Cup
event.

For
the
first
time
ever,
an
Australian
cricket
team
will
compete
in
a
major
event
sporting
a
playing
uniform
honouring
the
First
Nations.

Artwork
surrounds
the
shirt,
which
has
black
sleeves
and
a
green
and
gold
gradient
on
the
trunk.

The
black
trousers
and
black
cap
will
have
the
colours
of
the
Aboriginal
and
Torres
Strait
Islander
flags
on
the
brim,
while
the
long-sleeved
version
will
have
the
gold
and
green
artwork
extended
onto
the
sleeves
of
the
top.
The
Walkabout
Wickets
artwork
that
has
evolved
into
a
dominant
theme
is
once
again
centred
on
the
front
of
the
shirt,
as
it
has
been
in
prior
designs.

The
artist
of
Walkabout
Wickets
is
Clarke,
a
Kirrae
Whurrong
woman
and
great
great
granddaughter
of
James
“Mosquito”
Couzens,
who
played
for
the
Aboriginal
XI
in
a
historic
match
at
the
MCG
in
1866
and
travelled
to
England
in
1868
as
part
of
the
first
Australian
sports
team
to
play
outside
of
the
country.

Prior
to
the
2016
Boxing
Day
Test,
Clarke
designed
the
artwork
to
honour
the
150th
anniversary
of
the
1866
game.
Ever
since
it
has
been
shown
on
the
collar
of
the
test
shirt.

Connection
is
a
key
element
for
the
kit,
and
it
pays
tribute
to
the
past,
present,
and
upcoming
First
Nations
cricketers.

“The
overall
design
is
to
do
with
the
process
of
connecting
with
yourself
as
an
individual,
as
a
team,
in
the
community
and
whatever
is
surrounded
by
you
…
with
the
river,
the
land,
whatever
you
see,”
cricekt.com.au
quoted
Clarke.

A
Butchulla
and
Gubbi
Gubbi
woman
named
Hagen
described
that
the
pattern
included
stars
to
represent
ancestors
and
wickets
to
indicate
games
played.

On
the
shirt’s
back,
the
First
XI
of
the
Aboriginal
squad
that
toured
England
in
1868
is
depicted
in
the
shirt’s
major
design.

Only
four
Indigenous
men
and
two
Indigenous
women
have
played
international
cricket
for
Australia
since
the
first
Test
in
1877,
despite
the
pioneering
efforts
of
the
1868
squad,
who
undertook
the
treacherous
voyage
by
ship
to
the
UK
and
played
47
matches
at
locations
including
Lord’s
and
The
Oval.

The
eye-catching
new
T20
World
Cup
uniform
comes
after
Australia
won
the
2021
championship
in
Dubai
while
sporting
two
different
uniforms,
marking
the
first
time
an
Australian
side
was
required
to
prepare
an
‘alternative’.

The
ICC
T20
World
Cup
will
be
hosted
by
Australia
from
October
16,
2022,
to
November
13,
2022.