Women’s team in Australia fined $1000 for wearing wrong uniforms

Uniform is a big part of the game of cricket and the ICC have regularized the types of uniforms one can wear in order to keep the dignity of the game standardized throughout the world. The cricket boards are free to experiment with the colours and designs unless they come in the purview of the rules set by the governing body.

One women’s team in Australia participating in a charity match fell afoul of the Australian cricket board for wearing incorrect uniforms. The match was being played to gather donations for the victims of the bushfires that have ravaged the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales and also other parts of the continent, which has led to death of over 1 billion animals and loss of flora as well, apart from many human lives lost and thousands displaced from their homes.

Captain suspended for 4 games and team fined $1000 for wearing Hawaiian shirts

The dress code for a cricket match is extremely strict with players expected to wear cream or white uniforms, however, they may also wear coloured clothing, provided that the uniform is approved by the management committee. If so, all the players of the team must wear the approved uniform. However, this rule was ignored for the said charity match.

Players wore pink hats, face paint, and feather-boas as took part in the Southern Spirit Cricket Club’s Women’s T20 on January 11. The team also wore pink Hawaiian shirts over their uniforms. This led to them being fined $1000 despite the event raising more than $5000 for the bushfire victims. The team was stripped of all competition points and the captain was also suspended for four games.

Cricket NSW explained that the guilty Southern Spirit Cricket Club ignored repeated requests by the association to not wear the Hawaiian shirts. This offence led to the fine, which the Central Coast Cricket Association will donate in the name of Southern Spirit Cricket Club, to the McGrath Foundation.

Many other Australian players have done their bit to collect money for the bushfire victims with Shane Warne auctioning off his baggy green which fetched a record AUD 1 million. Apart from this, Cricket Australia has also arranged a T20 match to raise money for the good cause which will see Ricky Ponting’s team take on Shane Warne’s team, with West Indies great Courtney Walsh coaching Warne XI and India great Sachin Tendulkar coaching the Ponting XI.

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