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Brad Hogg swapping green and gold for Croatian red and white at Community Cricket World Cup

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Ben SmithThe West Australian
Australian cricketer Brad Hogg (R) jumps in air to celebrate alongwith teammate Adam Gilchrist (C) the wicket of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (L) during the third One Day International (ODI) match between India and Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad , 05 October 2007.   Australia defeated India by 47 runs in the third one-day international to gain a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series.  AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE
Camera IconAustralian cricketer Brad Hogg (R) jumps in air to celebrate alongwith teammate Adam Gilchrist (C) the wicket of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (L) during the third One Day International (ODI) match between India and Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad , 05 October 2007. Australia defeated India by 47 runs in the third one-day international to gain a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series. AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE Credit: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP

He has played on some famed and picturesque cricket pitches around the world, but Brad Hogg has particularly fond memories of a discreet oval on the Croatian coast.

In 2019, the beloved former Australia spin bowler found himself swapping the baggy green for the red and white checkerboard when he played in the Mediterranean Cricket League, an annual cricket tournament held in Croatia.

The brainchild of Perth-born former Croatian national team bowler Jeff Grzinic, the Twenty20 tournament featured six international representative teams from countries not known for their cricket prowess.

Invited to join a team made up mainly of Australians with Croatian heritage, Hogg found himself padded up in Tučepi, a town 60km south-east of Split along the Dalmatian coast.

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“The bowler was coming downhill with a massive mountain in the background, probably the biggest mountain I’ve ever seen,” Hogg said.

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“You’d dab it for one and the first ball of the next over and the oval’s 10m from the sea out the other end.”

On Friday and Saturday, Hogg will continue in his role as Mediterranean Cricket League ambassador when he takes to the field at Peet Park in Kewdale for the CGM Communications Community Cricket World Cup.

Organised by the Mediterranean Cricket League, the five-day tournament will feature some of Perth’s best community cricketers in teams representing Australia, Indigenous Australians, India, Croatia and Southern Africa.

Hogg will once again line up for the Croatian team and he will be joined in the red and white by tournament organiser Grzinic, who decided to bring people together over a game of cricket in his own backyard with the global pandemic forcing the cancellation of this year’s Mediterranean Cricket League.

Having enjoyed his previous experiences growing the game outside of cricket’s traditional hotspots, Hogg said he was looking forward to this weekend’s festivities.

Former Australian spin bowler Brad hogg during the 2019 Mediterranean Cricket League.
Camera IconFormer Australian spin bowler Brad hogg during the 2019 Mediterranean Cricket League. Credit: Mediterranean Cricket League

“It’s just good to see cricket growing in those regions, the ICC want the game to expand, so we’ve got to be strategic with that and try and give as much assistance as we possibly can,” Hogg said.

“We’re getting all the different cultures together who live among each other in Perth and joining them. We need more of these initiatives moving forward.

“We’ve got to embrace the change in society going forward and make sure we embrace every culture that’s here.”

Among the talent on display at Peet Park will be former Prime Minister’s XI and Australian Aboriginal XI representative Clinton Dann, who will captain the Indigenous Team.

Dann’s Aboriginal artwork Middle Stump Initiative will be used during the tournament as a sign of reconciliation. Play runs from 9am-5pm on both days and entry is free.

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