First Nations designs to be made permanent across Australian cricket teams

The Australian cricket teams have incorporated Indigenous artwork onto their uniforms permanently in a world first.

Australia has become the first cricketing nation to incorporate a permanent First Nations design on all three uniforms across Test, ODIs and T20s that star bowler Mitchell Starc called a “fantastic progression”.

Australia’s men’s T20 team will also ditch the black uniforms they have been wearing in recent years and revert back to dark green, with the colour also to feature on all Test shirts.

The big reveal of the new kits also highlighted the lack of a major sponsor for the men’s team, with Cricket Australia looking for a replacement for Alinta Energy after they ended their deal last summer.

CA, which has thrown its support behind the campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, has featured the Walkabout Wickets artwork on the collar of national uniforms for several years.

The “Walkabout Wickets” artwork has featured for a number of years. Picture: CA

But a bigger version will now be present on the side panels of all Test, ODI and T20 uniforms.

Starc said it was something players were pushing for.

“I think it’s great having the Indigenous artwork on the kit. We’ve been pushing for that for a long time and now to have it represented on the uniform for all three formats is fantastic,” Starc said.

“It’s a fantastic progression and all the players are proud to wear it.”

The new Australian cricket kits will feature a permanent First Nations design. Picture: CA

World Cup winning Australian bowler Megan Schutt said it was “about time” and hoped other sports would follow cricket’s lead.

“I think we can take pride in being a leading sport doing that and I would love to see other sports do the same thing,” she said.

Yellow will remain the colour of choice for both ODI teams, while the men will now join the women in wearing green again for T20s.

It will be the first time the men’s side has worn a green uniform in the shortest format, having worn black in T20 internationals since it was first introduced in February 2012.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood welcomed the change.

“When you think of green and gold you think of Australia,” he said.

“The black worked for a few years, but now it’s back to green and gold, so that’s great news.”

Originally published as First Nations designs to be made permanent across Australian cricket teams