Christian selection a boost for Indigenous cricket

Daniel Christian's selection today in the Australian squad for the upcoming Twenty20 matches against the West Indies marks him as the second player of Aboriginal heritage selected for Australia in the modern era.

Jason Gillespie, a former state teammate of Christian's at South Australia, took 259 wickets in 71 Tests as the first acknowledged Aboriginal Test cricketer, while the Aboriginal team that toured England in 1868, pre-dating Test cricket, have also been recognised with Australian player numbers.

Christian has had a career-best season in 2009-10, the South Australian Redback all-rounder recently being named as the Johnnie Walker ACA Player of the Month for January.

His good form in January included two stunning Ford Ranger Cup performances where he scored 90 not out of 73 balls against New South Wales, and combined 4-32 with 48 not out of 21 balls to defeat Western Australia. His form has extended into four day cricket, taking 9 wickets and scoring 71 in last week's Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia.

These exploits added to consistent KFC Twenty20 Big Bash form over the last three seasons (a strike rate of 143.96 with the bat and 19.15 with the ball) have earned him national honours.

Christian, originally from New South Wales, is a graduate of Cricket Australia's Indigenous cricket program, having captained the National Indigenous Development Squad that toured England in 2009.

Co-Chairman of the National Indigenous Cricket Advisory Committee, Vince Copley, congratulated Christian on his selection:

"I spent a lot of time with Dan on the tour to England last year and am thrilled to hear of his well-earned selection for Australia," Copely said.

"On behalf of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cricket players and fans, I wish him all the best."

Coincidentally Christian's selection comes the week after the 2010 Imparja Cup, a tournament that saw a record 31 teams compete across the four divisions and Western Australia crowned winner for the first time. A group of the promising young players on display at the Imparja Cup benefitted from playing under Christian's captaincy on the development squad tour to England.

Damien Bown, Cricket Australia General Manager of Game Development, sees Christian's selection as a further boost to Indigenous cricket:

"Dan led the development tour to England last year with distinction and his selection will no doubt inspire the younger players he mentored on the tour to strive for the elite level too," Bown said.

"Coming off the back of another successful Imparja Cup, we're confident that cricket is starting to engage more greatly with the Indigenous community."