Indigenous Big Bash star Josh Lalor has ultimate Australia Day snub in the works

Big Bash bowler Josh Lalor wants Australians who are against the January 26 ‘celebration’ to do something completely unexpected in support of First Nations people.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 11: Josh Lalor of the Renegades bats during the Men's Big Bash League match between the Melbourne Renegades and the Sydney Sixers at GMHBA Stadium, on January 11, 2022, in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Indigenous bowler Josh Lalor has encouraged Australians who are against the January 26 ‘celebration’ to snub the public holiday by going to work.

The Melbourne Renegades quick will proudly wear the club’s indigenous strip against Melbourne Stars on Thursday night and hopes such acts spark conversations that lead to a better understanding of why referring to the public holiday as ‘Australia Day’ causes so much pain.

“I know my team at work are not taking the public holiday,” Lalor told News Corp.

“We’re having our first big planning meeting for the year so we’ll go to the office and get that done as an internal piece for us.

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Indigenous Big Bash bowler Josh Lalor says there needs to be more conversation around the public holiday on that date and why it causes so much pain.

“If you are not familiar with anything to do with Australia Day or why people refer to it as Invasion Day, and you’re completely oblivious and you celebrate that day because you’re led to believe that it’s a great day, then it’s not my job to judge you on that.

“But if you know someone like that it might be nice to enter in a conversation and do things that lead to a Google search, or try to pass on a little bit of knowledge to someone and see what their take on that is.

“It comes back to different levels of understanding. There are thousands of businesses across the country where the owners think Australia Day is a great day and don’t have an understanding of what it means to Indigenous people to refer to it as Australia Day.

“So it’s hard to say a blanket statement that all employees should still go to work on that day. But it’s pretty harmless, so I hope it’s encouraged.”

Cricket Australia’s inaugural First Nations round in the BBL concludes on Friday although Lalor said the sport had a “hell of a long way to go”.

Lalor has played for as many Big Bash clubs as there are Indigenous cricketers contracted in the BBL — five.

Lalor says Cricket Australia deserves credit for its work but really the game is still in the early stages of the reconciliation process.

They are D’Arcy Short, Scott Boland (Hurricanes), Brendan Doggett (Thunder), Dan Christian (Sixers) and Lalor.

But Lalor — one of just five players in BBL history to take a hat-trick — said having a greater representation still wouldn’t make it easier for “little Jonny from Taree” to walk into a cricket club and feel comfortable.

Lalor said educating local clubs on what country they play on, who their local elders are, using correct language and doing a Welcome to Country before matches was important.

“To be completely honest we’re at the very, very, very early stages of anything,” he said.

“But the easiest thing we can do that we’ve seen work in other sports is put on the indigenous strip, which has little boys and girls at home asking mum and dad why that kit’s a bit different and hopefully prompts a conversation around that.

“If we can do things that lead to a Google search that’s a great outcome. That’s the benefit of having First Nations round.

“Credit to Cricket Australia, they’re in their second Reconciliation Action Plan and one of the deliverables of that was to employ an Indigenous round. It’s a great step, but there’s still a hell of a long way to go.

Dan Christian, along with Lalor, is one of just five Indigenous cricketers contracted in the BBL.

“What I understand more as I get older is that people and organisations with influence have a responsibility to influence more than just their objectives.

“As Australia’s largest summer sport and one of the biggest sports in the country I would like to see cricket use their scope … to make a significant impact on reconciliation and relationships with the Indigenous community.

“This doesn’t just mean playing cricket. It means having those fans and participants acknowledge country, become inquisitive about Australia’s cultural history, understand country, where they’re from and what that means and develop a relationship with Indigenous Australia.”

Lalor’s mob is the Gamilaraay tribe from northern NSW and the Penrith man was in the room doing the last CA RAP when it was suggested to name the player of the match award in the Boxing Day Test the Mullagh Medal, which was won by indigenous Victorian Scott Boland on debut last month.

Victorian Johnny Mullagh was the star in the 1868 Aboriginal cricket tour of England.

“To see it go to an indigenous guy in the second year was incredible. It was something out of a fairytale,” Lalor said.