Pat Cummins says he supports changing the date of Australia Day

Pat Cummins has called for a change to the date of Australia Day, backing the decision for the term not to be used in marketing for the Brisbane Test.

Cricket Australia (CA) have chosen not to brand this week’s second Test against West Indies as “the Australia Day match”, or use the term at the Gabba on day two on 26 January.

The organisation’s long-held position has come under fire this week, with the CA chief executive, Nick Hockley, enduring a grilling on Sydney radio on Tuesday morning.

Test captain Cummins has backed the move, and in turn become the highest-profile sporting star in the country to push for a change of date to mark Australia’s national day.

“I absolutely love Australia,” Cummins said. “It is the best country in the world by a mile.

“We should have an Australia Day, but we can probably find a more appropriate day to celebrate it. Once you start realising Jan 26 and why it is chosen, Australia Day is meant to be a celebration of everything Australia and our history. [So] we could choose a better date.”

CA dropped the term “Australia Day” from marketing in 2021, when some Big Bash League teams wore Indigenous strips for games played on 26 January.

A women’s international match was shifted to the date last year, prompting Indigenous woman and Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner to speak out on the matter.

The Gabba Test was always going to present a challenge for officials, with West Indies in Australia for the series and the public holiday falling on a Friday.

Cummins, who said speaking to fellow players including Gardner and Scott Boland brought the issue closer to home, could not understand the recent furore.

“[The issue] is not new,” Cummins said. “This conversation comes up every year and Cricket Australia has been pretty consistent the last four or five years with the way they approach it.

“In a sport like cricket, which has such diversity and millions of people supporting it and playing it, you get a good spectrum of the community and a good feel for what the community expects.

“Knowing a couple of those players that you mentioned, you hear the stories and their feelings. So it does gather extra importance.”

Hockley on Tuesday said CA were attempting to take a neutral position on 26 January.

“We are not precluding anybody celebrating Australia,” Hockley said on Sydney radio station 2GB. “We are not boycotting Australia Day.

“We are taking the same approach we have over the past four or five years. We have spoken to our players and spoken to our committee. We want people to come along and enjoy Australia Day.

“But for some, including in our elite playing group, it’s not a day of celebration. And we are seeking to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible.”

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Steve Smith will be ready to fire for the Brisbane Test, Pat Cummins says. Photograph: Matt Turner/AAP

Cummins also said Travis Head will be fit to slot into a batting order as he was progressing well in his recovery from Covid.

“He’ll train tonight,” Cummins said. “Even if he’s still [testing] positive he can play. There will just be a few protocols but he’s pretty close to a negative.”

Key batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are yet to score Test centuries this summer but Cummins said he sensed that was about to change at the Gabba.

“You see how hard they work in the nets and even the way they have gone about their innings they look like piling on a big 100 or 200 like we have seen them do in the past,” Cummins said.

“Smithy in particular last week looked really sharp up the top but just got a good ball. It feels like they are poised to have a big impact.

“This summer we are looking at it as a seven-Test summer. Away series are always the hardest ones to win so that two-match series against New Zealand is going to be huge.

“We’ll focus on this week, but we do have a bit of an eye to getting all our players through and making sure they are firing for that New Zealand series.”

The Test at the Gabba will start with the looming aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Kirrily set to make its presence felt.

Rain is forecast from Saturday so making headway towards a quick victory may be paramount for Australia with vital World Test Championship points up for grabs.