No Ashes: West Indies as the team of choice for Indigenous Australians

During the first decade of this new century, cricket has increasingly emerged as a sport of choice for Indigenous Australians. The Imparja Cup (The Imparja Cup is the national tournament competition conducted annually between all Indigenous teams representing the States and Territories of Australia) has grown in scope and level of interest each year and matches are now televised live on National Indigenous Television network (NITV). An active Indigenous cricket scene was brought to a halt by a serious of government policies that were debilitating for Indigenous peoples. Colonial government policies directed at land acquisition and the removal of Aborigines from traditional lands also shifted Indigenous sport practices. We describe and discuss how the treatment by colonial powers effectively reduced Indigenous interest in the Ashes series and resulted in West Indies being the team of choice.