Cricket Australia enlist experts to help develop their diversity and inclusion action plan

Cricket Australia announced that they have enlisted the help of a number of experts and athletes to develop the next stage of their diversity and inclusion action plan. Cricketers Usman Khawaja and Elyse Villani will be involved in this process.



Among others Graeme Innes, former Australian disability discrimination commissioner and member of the blind community, Nick Morris, former Paralympic gold medalist and accessibility consultant, Dean Barton-Smith, member of the deaf community and former Olympic decathlete, and Sri Lanka's Asanka Gurusinha, national program manager for Pride in Sport Beau Newell, have also been included.



The board has created three working groups - disability, cultural diversity and diverse genders and sexuality - each consisting of a combination of external members and CA employees. The intention is to ensure that CA is able to create a balanced action plan that keeps in mind the needs of all those involved in the game. This plan will work hand in hand with the board's 'Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan' that was launched last December.



"With initiatives such as the National Indigenous Cricket Championships, National Cricket Inclusion Championships and cricket’s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in cricket, Cricket Australia, alongside Commonwealth Bank as the Principal Partner of the A Sport For All Program, acknowledges the importance of diversity across all areas of the sport," a statement from CA read.



In their attempt to make cricket a "game for all" CA will also continue to increase diversity within their staff while also maintaining 'cultural safety' in the workplace, major events, and digital platforms.



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“We’re very excited about bringing people with a wealth of different professional and lived experience together to help us advance as an organisation," Adam Cassidy, Cricket Australia diversity and inclusion manager, said. “We believe we have implemented some great programs at a participation level and have a reasonable base to be starting from, however we would be naïve to think we have all the answers within our walls to be a truly inclusive sport."



“To have secured the calibre within these groups who can help guide the work of our wonderful staff at Cricket Australia is something we are thankful for. We hope they are just as excited as us to be on this journey of becoming an inclusive sport.”



Beau Newell, Pride in Sport National Program Manager, said: “Pride in Sport is thrilled to be a part of this important project that Cricket Australia is launching.



“We know from experience that most sports have an appetite to be inclusive but often need some outside guidance on what is best practice or where they have gaps when trying to create a safe and inclusive environment for particular communities. As a partner of Cricket Australia, Pride in Sport is looking forward to further strengthening that relationship and also learning from the many other wonderful people involved in the process.”



The groups will begin working together on the development of the diversity and inclusion action plan next month.