'Proud' star hits out at Australia Day match

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Aussie prima Ashleigh Gardner has called retired Cricket Australia for scheduling an planetary fixture connected January 26.

The day has officially been labelled Australia Day since it was made a nationalist national vacation successful 1994.

But portion immoderate spot it arsenic a time of celebration, for galore - peculiarly indigenous Australians - that day signifies symptom and trauma.

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It marks the 1788 penetration of Australia by British fleets, and the consequent genocide of Aboriginal people.

Gardner, who is simply a arrogant indigenous Australian, volition enactment up astatine Blundstone Arena connected Thursday to instrumentality connected Pakistan successful a Twenty20.

But she took to societal media connected Sunday to denounce the determination to play a crippled connected a day that should beryllium commemorated, not celebrated.

"As a arrogant Muruwari pistillate and reflecting connected what Jan 26 means to maine and my radical it is simply a time of wounded and a time of mourning," Gardner said.

"My civilization is thing I clasp adjacent to my bosom and thing I'm ever truthful arrogant to talk astir whenever asked.

"I besides americium fortunate capable to play cricket for a surviving which is thing I dreamt of arsenic a kid.

"Unfortunately this twelvemonth the Australian women's cricket squad has been scheduled to play a crippled connected the 26th of Jan which surely doesn't beryllium good with maine arsenic an idiosyncratic but besides each the radical I'm representing.

"As a nationalist squad we person a level to rise consciousness astir definite issues and I'm utilizing this level to hopefully assistance amended others connected a travel to larn astir the longest surviving civilization successful the world.

"For those who don't person a bully knowing of what that time means it was the opening of genocide, massacres and dispossession.

"When I instrumentality the tract for this crippled I volition surely beryllium reflecting and reasoning astir each of my ancestors and people's lives who changed from this day."

Cricket Australia has chosen to not docket astatine Big Bash League matches connected January 26.

The Australia-Pakistan lucifer successful Hobart is not being marketed successful narration to Australia Day.

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