London, Aug 20 (IANS) The big golden flower on the Australian players’ shirt collars in this Ashes series has got people talking, and a Cricket Australia report says it is a symbol of commitment as a team to reconciliation and finding common ground with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The collar badge is a representation of a piece of Australian native art called “Walkabout Wickets”, by Aunty Fiona Clarke, the great-great-grand-daughter of “Mosquito”, a member of the pioneering Aboriginal team that toured England in 1868, a ESPNCricinfo report says.
The artwork depicts past, present and future Aboriginal cricketers.
There is a large circle in the logo which represents the hallowed Lord’s cricket ground, one of the many famous grounds the 1868 team visited, while the smaller circles signify the teams’ other meeting places.
The flying stumps mean Aboriginal cricketers getting the better of the English at their own game, while wickets with no bails signify that the game is continuously evolving.
Australia lead the five-match series 1-0 after winning the first rubber by a massive 251 runs, largely due to Steve Smith’s heroics with the bat. The second Test here at Lord’s was a draw.
–IANS
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