South Australian cricketer Megan Schutt’s tattoo ‘No place for hate’ inspires anti-racism mural at local cricket club
Last year, Australian bowler Megan Schutt had four small words tattooed on her wrist. Those words have now inspired a mural at a cricket club aimed at stopping racism in sport.
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They may be small, but the four words tattooed on Australian cricketer Megan Schutt’s wrist sure are mighty: ‘No place for hate’.
The words are so mighty, that the Kenilworth Cricket Club in Parkside – a club that prides itself on encouraging people from countries including Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India to play – has turned them into a mural aimed at discouraging racism.
Kenilworth’s cricketers include refugees and students from diverse backgrounds, but players are often subjected to onfield racist taunts.
Club president John Gritzalas described 2018 as “the most abhorrent season I’ve ever seen”.
“I played with most of the Afghanis that year and they were called the most awful names, and people would come up and kick our helmets on the ground, it was just abysmal,” he said.
The club took Schutt’s tattoo as inspiration, engaging artist Jack Fran to create the large, colourful and portable mural that will be boundary-side at home games.
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“Hopefully it will encourage opposition teams to just be a bit more respectful,” Gritzalas, who has been playing cricket for 50 years, said.
Kenilworth CC’s opening bowler, Prabhat Mehla, agreed.
“It certainly puts thoughts in someone’s mind, thinking about what actions they are taking and that leads to self-reflection on what they want to do and how they behave,” he said.
“It’s a great message.”
Schutt got the tattoo in May last year, having originally seen the quote on social media amid the furore when rugby player Israel Folau posted a homophobic comment online.
“I’ve always been pretty big on preaching love,” she said.
“There’s no reason for hate and as I’ve got older I’ve seen that most hate comes from fear.
“Sometimes people need a reminder that the words they are saying might be hurtful.”
The swing bowler, who turns 27 this week, deliberately chose her wrist for the tattoo.
“It’s in view all the time, it’s somewhere that I don’t cover up in cricket,” she explained.
“All my other tatts I can cover, but this one’s exposed and for a good reason.
“I feel like there’s too much hate in the world … it’s not hard to be nice and sometimes people need a reminder of that.”
The mural also showcases the power of cricket.
“Cricket connects a lot of people … it’s a world game and that’s the beauty of communities like this where people are from all walks of life and from the other side of the world, they come here knowing nobody and cricket connects them and they feel like they belong,” Schutt said.
On Thursday, Cricket Australia will announce its 15-player squad for the ICC’s Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played across the country from February 21-March 8.
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The Australian cricket team, of which Schutt opens the bowling with her economical inswingers, is the world’s No. 1 ranked T20 side, but “Shooter” said there would be no easy games for the green and gold at the World Cup.
“Us being No. 1 is good pressure, but it’s T20 cricket and anything can happen,” she said.
Schutt praised the depth of Australian cricket that there was a long list of players knocking on selection’s door, including fellow South Australians Tahlia McGrath, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Bridget Patterson.
“It puts pressure on the other players, which brings out your best cricket,” she said.
Schutt is enjoying good form coming into the World Cup, named in the WBBL’s team of the tournament after being the competition’s most economical bowler, taking 15 wickets in 16 matches.
She remains the world’s No. 1 ranked T20 bowler.
“For me, there are always areas you can improve as a bowler, you’re never really as good as you can be,” she said.
“A World Cup on home soil, there’s no better place to prove yourself.”
Kenilworth CC relies solely on player subscriptions for income and is a beneficiary of the Grassroots Cricket Fund, a $30 million fund from Australia’s professional cricketers, that gives community cricket clubs across Australia access to funds to improve their clubs.
Originally published as South Australian cricketer Megan Schutt’s tattoo ‘No place for hate’ inspires anti-racism mural at local cricket club
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