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Scott Boland said he hoped his Boxing Day Test debut could pave the way for the next generation of Indigenous cricketers but he was nonplussed why there have been so few reach the highest level of the Australian game.
The Victorian paceman entered rare company at the MCG on Sunday when he was presented with his Baggy Green by injured star Josh Hazlewood.
Boland is only the second Indigenous man to play Test cricket for Australia, after decorated paceman Jason Gillespie.
The 32-year-old was recognised as Australia’s 463rd Test cricketer before play in a special Welcome To Country.
An Aboriginal XI famously toured England in 1868 but in the 153 years since, First Nations Australians have not always had a natural pathway into cricket.
Even though Gillespie became a genuine star to finish his decade-long international career with 259 Test wickets, it has taken another 25 years for an Indigenous man to debut.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
But Boland, who hails from the Gulidjan tribe in the Colac area of Victoria, is set to become an inspiration after reaching the pinnacle in Australian cricket.
“I’m pretty proud and my family’s very proud as well. It means a lot to join a small club and hopefully it’s just the start of something big for the Indigenous community in cricket.
“If I can be a role model for young Indigenous kids to want to play cricket… I think the Indigenous community in AFL and rugby are so big, hopefully one day the involvement of Aboriginals in cricket can be just as big.”
Boland said that although there were several males now playing in the BBL, the female Indigenous players were “coming along a lot quicker”.
“Hopefully the more male players play at the higher level the more exposure we can give to Indigenous cricket hopefully the numbers will grow.”
Ashleigh Gardner has become a staple of Australia’s women’s team, while Faith Thomas played one Test in 1958.
“Aboriginal people, where they’ve excelled, they’ve gone to sports where they feel there’s an opportunity like AFL, rugby league, boxing,” Cricket Australia’s Indigenous advisory chair Justin Mohamed said.
“For some reason, that hasn’t been seen as a genuine opportunity in cricket and that’s what we’re hoping to change.
“You hear of cricketers that have come through that came to the MCG and watched Dennis Lillee or Jeff Thomson who inspired them.
“You hear of athletes who said they saw Cathy Freeman in 2000 (at the Sydney Olympics) and that’s inspired them to be the next Olympian.
“Hopefully there will be the six, eight or 10-year-old watching something like this and saying ‘that’s what I want to do’.
“It’s a magnificent day for Scott, it’s a magnificent day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders because he’s obviously representing himself and his family but also a representation of people who are so proud it could happen on such a significant day.”
Boland is also the first Victorian to make his Test debut in the marquee MCG Boxing Day fixture since Tony Dodemaide, who is now an Australian selector, in 1987.
The MCG crowd had no hesitation in chanting for Boland: “We love Scotty because he’s a Victorian.”
The right-arm quick claimed his first Test wicket when trapped England bowler Mark Wood lbw in the final session.
Boland finished with figures of 1-48 from 13 overs and took two outfield catches as England collapsed to be all out for 185.
“It was a really special moment this morning getting my baggy green off Josh Hazlewood,” said Boland. “Even though I’m older than him he’s someone as a bowler I look up to in and back to the quarantine we had a few weeks ago I was picking his brain and Pat Cummins brain in training as much as I could.
“To get my cap off his was really nice and I had my family there with me was really special.
“I was really nervous before my first ball. I had Nathan Lyon tell me I only had one chance to join his club of getting a wicket on his first ball but it wasn’t to be.
“With the catches I didn’t pick up the first one too well, but heading down the boundary those stands were going nuts, it was a great atmosphere.”
Boland was asked if he felt that his chances of playing for Australia had gone before his surprise call up.
“Yeah definitely,” he said. “I probably felt two or three years ago I wasn’t bowling as well as I know I could – I think just from the constant cricket I was getting really tired.
“I had to plan my off season to stay away from cricket and try and refresh my mind and body.
“Now as I get older I know what I have to do to get up for a season.”
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