Star Australia pacer Scott Boland and medium-pacer Brendan Doggett are all set to create history by becoming the first indigenous pair ever to play a Test for Australia together. The hosts will face England
in the first Ashes Test beginning Friday at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Stand-in skipper Steve Smith confirmed the playing XI on Thursday, featuring pacer Doggett, who will make his Test debut with Pat Cummins and Josh
Hazlewood sidelined because of injury.With Boland already in the XI, Doggett’s inclusion means Australia will field two Indigenous players in a Test team for the first time. Before the latter, only four Indigenous cricketers had represented Australia in Tests: the late Faith Coulthard, pacer Jason Gillespie, allrounder Ashleigh Gardner and Boland.
Doggett, from the Worimi community in eastern New South Wales, has taken 190 first-class wickets at an average of 26.46.
Batter Jake Weatherald will debut as well and open the innings with Usman Khawaja.
“He is very skilful. I think he’s improved a hell of a lot in the last few years and I’m excited to see him go about his business,” Smith said while speaking of Doggett at the pre-match press conference.
“Unfortunate that those two (Cummins and Hazlewood) are out. But an exciting opportunity for Scotty (Boland) and for Brendan Doggett to make his debut,” Smith added.
Notably, three-time Grand Slam winner Ashleigh Barty, former allrounder Dan Christian, former pacers Albert Henry and Ian King, former medium-pacers Josh Lalor, Michael Mainhardt and Ken Vowles and opener D’Arcy Short are some of the indigenous athletes that Australia has produced.
Aboriginal participation in Aussie cricket goes back to the sport’s earliest days, with records showing involvement as early as 1795 in Sydney and the 1830s in Tasmania.
The earliest recorded cricket game involving Indigenous cricketers dates to February 1854, when three Poonindie players took the field in a match at St Peter’s College in Adelaide, South Australia.
