New playing kit revealed for Aussie teams

Australia's international playing kit will incorporate First Nations artwork across all formats for both men's and women's teams in landmark new designs unveiled today.  

The Asics kit, to be worn for the next two home summers, includes the Walkabout Wickets artwork designed by Aunty Fiona Clarke on the side panels of the shirts.  

And Australia has done away with the black kit for T20 internationals and will now wear green, the first time the side has worn a green uniform in the shortest format. 

The kits are almost identical across the genders, but there are subtle differences – notably the men's T20 kit is collarless, but the women's does feature a more traditional look with a collar.  

The men's team uniform is conspicuous for the current absence of a sponsor for the shirt fronts, with Cricket Australia in the market for that lucrative piece of real estate across all formats.  

Commonwealth Bank remains a principal sponsor of the women's cricket team.  

Coincidentally, it was CommBank's sponsorship of the men's shirt front that first led to the introduction of a green kit for the limited-overs formats in 2006-07, with a dark green kit that allowed the sponsor's logo to pop on a colour said to be inspired by the Baggy Green cap.  

Australia had worn black in T20 internationals since it was first introduced in February 2012 for a two-match home series against India. They later wore black at that year's T20 World Cup – the first time an Australian side had worn anything other than gold at an ICC event since the introduction of coloured clothing. 

Australia is expected to soon reveal their playing kit for this year's ODI World Cup in India. 

"When you think of green and gold you think of Australia," fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said of the new T20 kit.  

"The black worked for a few years, but now it's back to green and gold, so that's great news." 

Australia's Test kit has subtle green piping around the sleeves and collar – a design Aussie allrounder Cameron Green called "clean" – but ICC regulations mean the Walkabout Wickets logo is embossed onto the side under the ventilated mesh panels.  

While that looks classy up close, it will be near impossible to see from a distance and on television broadcasts, but the inclusion has been roundly welcomed by Australia's players.  

"I think it's great having the Indigenous artwork on the kit. We've been pushing for that for a long time and now to have it represented on the uniform for all three formats is fantastic," said Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc. 

 "It's a fantastic progression and all the players are proud to wear it. 

 "Wearing the Aussie kit is a proud moment for anyone. I've been very fortunate and humble to be able to wear the kit for a long time." 

Walkabout Wickets was painted by Clarke, a Kirrae Whurrong woman who is the great great grand-daughter of James 'Mosquito' Couzens, who played in the Aboriginal XI in a landmark match at the MCG in 1866, and also toured England in 1868, the first sporting team from Australia to play abroad. 

Clarke created the artwork ahead of the 2016 Boxing Day Test to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 1866 match.  

It pays tribute to the past, present and emerging First Nations cricketers, and has been included on the collar of the Test shirt ever since. 

Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, who will captain the team when the kit is first worn in a match against the West Indies next month added: "We've had the Walkabout Wickets logo on our collars for a little while, but to have the Indigenous design completely embedded in our kits is fantastic. 

"Wearing the Australian kit means everything to us, it's what we were striving for as kids playing in the backyard. It never gets lost on us how special it is." 

The replica range is now available to purchase from shop.cricket.com.au.