Cricket Victoria partners with Deakin University

Deakin University students were invited to participate in a four week program, with sessions held at Deakin Burwood, Camberwell Magpies Cricket Club and at the MCG’s Bill Lawry Centre. These sessions stimulated conversation between students of different nationalities and tertiary degrees.

With more than 7,000 international students currently enrolled at Deakin University, Director of the Deakin Sport Network Professor David Shilbury believes that the game of cricket will help provide a platform for self-expression and a balanced social life.

“The Cricket Victoria and Deakin University International Student Academy is a wonderful example of how university sport programs can work with key industry partners to provide greater playing opportunities to a wider demographic,” Professor Shilbury said.

“More importantly, for our international students that come from cricket loving nations, this Academy provides both an outlet to play cricket and a social network to forge new relationships. In many ways, it provides a home away from home.”

Former International players Aminul Islam, Rumesh Ratnayake and Waddington Mwayenga joined in on the sessions to help develop students’ fundamental skills of the game and provide insight into the cricket pathway.

Ratnayake said that he was impressed by the quality of the individuals at the sessions.

“I was quite surprised to see such high quality talent in these students who were from the sub-continent. You couldn’t ask for a better city than Melbourne to pursue education and sport because of the opportunities provided through this initiative and local clubs,” Ratnayake said.

All Victorian universities are invited to enter teams in Cricket Victoria’s University Cup in early 2017, which will form as an extension of the successful initiative with Deakin University.