Steve Smith joins Pat Cummins in call for Australia Day date change

Steve Smith has joined captain Pat Cummins in supporting changing the date of Australia Day, citing a chat with Indigenous teammate Scott Boland.

Steve Smith has joined Pat Cummins in calling for Australia Day to change from January 26.

Former Australian captain Steve Smith has followed the current skipper Pat Cummins in, saying he thinks Australia Day should be celebrated on a more appropriate date.

Cricket is caught in a storm of controversy over its determination to not associate any of its matches with the public holiday, but conceded on Wednesday that there would be mention of Australia Day over the public address system at the Test on January 26.

Earlier chief executive Nick Hockley had said there would be no announcements.

Cricket’s Indigenous advisory panel endorses the stance and players in the Test team have been influenced by discussions with fast bowler Scott Boland and Ash Gardner, Indigenous players who says there needs to be a more appropriate date.

“I’ve just spoken to Scott Boland about this just the other day and as Australians you want all Australians to celebrate that day,” Smith said.

“All Australians don’t the way it is at the moment and maybe that is the way forward (change the date) to have all Australians celebrating on that day.”

Smith says conversations with Scott Boland reiterated his belief the date should be changed.

Gardner spoke last year about being uncomfortable personally and for “all the people I’m representing” about even playing a woman’s ODI match on that day.

“I just don’t understand why this one day of the year, which is a day of mourning, which doesn’t have a very good history of what happened on that day, that there needs to be cricket,” Gardner said at the time. “I see sport as a celebration and entertainment and an event you want to go to. Why does there need to be something that represents something that’s quite morbid. It’s probably not overly appropriate.”

Boland was of the same mind.

“It’s a day of mourning for a lot of people. I’m not sure January 26 is the day that is inclusive of everyone,” Boland said.

The fast bowler is in the squad but not part of the XI for this match.

Cummins and chief executive Nick Hockley set off a firestorm of criticism for a similar stance. The CEO and his organisation claimed they were not banning Australia Day and would play on the date without mentioning it.

Cummins is also of the opinion that January 26 is not an appropriate date for Australia Day.

“This conversation comes up every year really and Cricket Australia has been pretty consistent over the last four or five years in the way they approach it,” Cummins said.

“My personal opinions is I absolutely love Australia, it is the best country in the world by a mile and I think w should have an Australia Day, but I think we can probably find a more appropriate day to celebrate

“I think in particular a sport like cricket, which has such diversity and has millions of people following it and supporting it and playing it. You get a good spectrum of the community and a good feel for what the community kind of expects.

“So, knowing a couple of those players. You hear the stories and their feelings and it does gather extra importance.”