UNICEF team up with Australian Women’s Cricket ahead of World Cup

Rachael Haynes & Alex Blackwell interviewed by 11-year old ahead of Women’s T20 World Cup

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Current and former members of the Australian Women’s Cricket team have partnered with UNICEF to support the ‘For Every Girl’ campaign to empower girls through sport and build equality in communities.

Current batswoman Rachael Haynes and former team member and bowler Alex Blackwell, both former Captains of the team, have been named the Partnership Ambassadors for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, which begins this Friday night.

UNICEF plans to raise funds for sports development projects in Sri Lanka, supplying sports equipment and develop skills in collaboration, leadership and team-building while promoting more girls to play cricket. The ICC’s ‘Cricket For Good Program’ will work alongside the global charity, which operates across more then 190 countries world-wide.

UNICEF assigned a special reporter to interview the two Partnership Ambassadors on queries surrounding their careers as female cricketers and get their views on why more girls need to play cricket.

Gemma, at just 11 years old, asked some very interesting questions, encouraging insightful comments and responses from both Blackwell and Haynes.

“Cricket doesn’t require any certain body type. Anyone can play,” Blackwell said. “If you’re tall, you’re short, you’re fast, you’re slow, it doesn’t really matter, you can find a place in a cricket team.”

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Fellow Ambassador Haynes used the opportunity in the interview to highlight the barriers many girls face as they try to get into male-dominated sports and  reflected on her experience as the only girl in an all boys cricket team.

“When I first started playing I played in the under 12 boys team, so I used to be the only girl in that competition. I’d be this little girl walking out in this big helmet and all the gear on and I’d quite often have boys walk up to me and ask if I was a girl, which I confirmed I was.”

The theme of inclusion and equality is carried on through  UNICEF’s work in highlighting the importance of supporting girls’ empowerment in a diverse range of strategies.

“UNICEF does great work improving the lives of children all around the world,” Blackwell said. “ Especially children who are more disadvantaged perhaps than I was as a child. I really believe that young kids everywhere should have an opportunity to play sport and I’m really excited to see the programme that UNICEF are doing in Sri Lanka.”

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 takes place across two weeks, starting this Friday, culminating on March 8th, coinciding with International Women’s Day, where UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Katy Perry will perform at the MCG. 

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