Australian players showed their support for indigenous teammate Ash Gardner in Hobart

Australian players said they fully supported Ash Gardner’s stance against playing on January 26 and showed it in Hobart.

Australia extended its unbeaten run in T20s to 667 days by thrashing Pakistan in a match indigenous star Ash Gardner didn’t want played as her teammates showed the ultimate support for her anti-Australia Day stance.

Gardner ignited a week of debate over the scheduling of the match having declared January 26 a day which has brought “hurt and mourning” to First Nations people and that playing a game of cricket “doesn’t sit well with me”.

But the fallout didn’t distract the World Cup champions from the task of demolishing Pakistan, again, in a massive eight-wicket romp with newly crowned T20 player of the year, Tahlia McGrath hitting the winning runs.

The players had thrown their full support behind Gardner and having spent time on Wednesday doing a wukalina walking tour in Hobart and discovering more about First Nations people and culture, wore socks with the Aboriginal flag on them as well as red, black and yellow bracelets.

The Aboriginal flag on the socks of Australian players during their warm,-up in Hobart. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

The players also wore their First Nations jersey, a move pushed by the players and in the absence of a barefoot circle, took a moment prior to the first ball to stand together and acknowledge country.

Then Gardner, after the sprinklers came on momentarily before the start of play took the first wicket in the second over of the match as one of a record nine bowlers used by the Australians who limited Pakistan to just 7-96 from 20 overs.

Only captain Meg Lanning and keeper Beth Mooney didn’t bowl as leg-spinner Alana King took 2-10.

The run chase was all too easy for the Aussies with Mooney smashing 46 off 29 balls to help reel in the paltry total in less than 14 overs, sealing the series with one match to go in a show of strength before their T20 World Cup defence begins in South Africa in February.

Proud Muruwari woman Ashleigh Gardner is the first wicket taker of the evening 🖤💛❤️#AUSvPAKpic.twitter.com/RSwJax86y5

— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) January 26, 2023

Cricket Australia has in recent years not referred to January 26 as Australia Day in any match promotions and the issue of playing on the national day could rear its head again next year with a Test against the West Indies scheduled to cover the date.

The match in Hobart was originally scheduled to be played at Manuka Oval on January 27, but the game was moved to Tasmania when the men’s ODI series against South Africa was cancelled.

It was Australia’s first T20 win in Hobart in five attempts, but their first at the venue since 2014.

Australia also took it’s unbeaten record against Pakistan to 13 in T20 cricket, having never lost in 15 clashes, two of which were abandoned.

The final T20 will be played in Canberra on Sunday, the last before Australia’s World Cup defence begins.

Originally published as Australian players showed their support for indigenous teammate Ash Gardner in Hobart