Uniting two communities
Cricket will unite two communities on Sunday when Victoria Police Cricket Club takes on the Western Warriors for the inaugural Harmony in Cricket Cup at Port Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Hosted by Port Melbourne Cricket Club, the Twenty20 match aims to assist in fostering the relationship between Victoria Police and the Victorian Islamic community through the shared interest of cricket.
“We want to show the broader community that we can find common interests through sport, breaking down the perceived barriers,” Victoria Police Cricket Club captain Detective Senior Constable Steven Oates said.
Oates also noted that the game fits into a larger Victoria Police strategy to engage with diverse and youth communities.
“We play in a range of community matches including the George Howell Shield against Assumption College which commemorates the death of an officer shot on duty,” Oates said.
“We also play matches against Victoria’s Imparja Cup team (the state’s Indigenous cricket team) and we face the Indigos Cricket Club (a team made up of cricketers from an Indian background) annually on Australia Day, just to name a few.
“Members play on their days off from work, donating their time to ensure that these events are successful and can continue, which shows great commitment.”
On the day, former Victorian cricketer Rob Bartlett will play for the Police with members of the side coming from across Victoria, from a range of ranks and units including the Crime Investigation Unit, Protection Service Officers, General Duties, Booze Bus officers, Highway Patrol and Water Police.
Victoria Police will face the Western Warriors, a team comprised of Pakistani and Indian cricketers.
Formed in 2004, the Warriors were created to provide cricketers within the Islamic community an opportunity to play together on a Sunday.
Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers spinner Fawad Ahmed, who is also a former Warrior, will be in attendance on the day to show his support for the event.
Warriors captain Adnan Khawaja acknowledged the opportunity to build a relationship with Victoria Police while creating awareness about the Warriors among the wider Islamic community.
“This game allows for the Islamic community and Victoria Police to come together and work closely,” Khawaja said.
“It also gives us a chance to showcase the Warriors in front of the wider Islamic community and hopefully we can get them involved in cricket.”
The teams will vie for the Harmony in Cricket Cup, which is a Cricket Victoria philosophy that celebrates the message that cricket is a game for everyone.
Play will commence at 1pm on Sunday with an extended innings break and official proceedings scheduled for 2:30pm.
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