Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday that it would drop the Southern Stars nickname for the Australian women’s cricket team in official communications. Both the men and women cricket teams will be referred to in the same way, that is the Australian men’s cricket team and the Australian women’s cricket team.
Chairman of Cricket Australia David Peever said that the move carried considerable weight as “Cricket cannot hope to be a sport for all Australians if it does not recognise the power of words, and the respect for women that sits behind such decisions.”
A leading Australian businesswoman, Ann Sherry, challenged the cricket board to adopt a name that is gender neutral and welcoming to women. The Australian women’s cricket team has traditionally been called the Southern Stars, differentiating them from the men’s team.
However, Cricket Australia did mention that it would not completely drop the Southern Stars nickname as it has a strong brand identity and a strong following on social media.
Social media accounts which use the Southern Stars name will remain, because of their strong following, but the official name and logo will be changed to reflect the new convention.
The Australian women’s team, led by Meg Lanning, will depart for England on Friday for the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.