Women’s cricketer Alex Blackwell says men’s and women’s teams should wear same baggy green

VETERAN cricketer Alex Blackwell has called on Cricket Australia to go all the way in their quest for gender equality and have the same baggy green for women as they do for men.

Alex Blackwell says the men’s and women’s teams should wear the same baggy green.

VETERAN cricketer Alex Blackwell has called on Cricket Australia to go all the way in their quest for gender equality and have the same baggy green for women as they do for men.

CA announced a month ago that it would abandon the Southern Stars naming convention that had been used for the team until now, with it only to be used colloquially, and that teams would instead be referred to as the men’s and women’s cricket team.

When announcing the change, CA chairman David Peever said that “Cricket Australia is looking at all the ways in which it operates to ensure we can meet the ambition of being a sport for all.”

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But Blackwell, who has played 11 Tests, 137 ODIs and 95 T20Is, believes there is one more step to go.

“Our baggy green is different to the men’s baggy green. We have a gold ribbon under our coat of arms, which is surrounded by a red stitching. The men’s baggy green is a red ribbon under the coat of arms surrounded by gold stitching,” she said.

Australian player Ellyse Perry wearing the women’s baggy green which features a gold ribbon under the coat of arms.

“There was reasoning as to why they wanted to do that back in the day and that they did do that. But if you’re going to make the level of distinction that you’re going to treat our teams the same, then if you’re wearing a baggy green for Australia, it should be the same baggy green, no matter what your gender is.

“I’ve not made that recommendation to the board, but I would.”

The Australia team is halfway through their World Cup campaign in the UK and sit top of the standings.

They have won all four of their pool matches and still remain favourites to win their seventh World Cup.

Test players Usman Khawaja (left) and Steve Smith wearing the men’s baggy green which features a red ribbon under the coat of arms

While all the news back home focuses on player strikes and the MOU, Blackwell said she doesn’t feel their results are being lost among the pay battle that is the women’s cricketers story too.

“It is our news as well. The MOU is about all cricketers coming under an MOU for the first time and the unity being shown across all groups of cricketers is incredible. We haven’t seen that before,” Blackwell said.

“This is the first opportunity we’ve had to show that unity and I’m really impressed with the player group.

“It would be great to be able to focus on the results that are happening over here but I know that people are following. It’s great that every match is live streamed, or on Fox back home.

“That our World Cup campaign is swamped by, whatever other sports are going on back home - NRL, AFL — it wouldn’t be unusual.

“I guess what I’m saying is our news is the MOU news. But it would be great if can finish soon and we can focus on what we all want to focus on.”