MELBOURNE, 5 October, 2024: Dark clouds and rain could not dampen Cricket Australia’s ‘Cricket’s Fan Festival’ at the Federation Square today. Many fans were already there and despite rain prediction, they kept on coming. A dance item by a Pakistani group kept the crowd engaged as dark clouds hovered over the city. Finally, Glen Maxwell, batting allrounder and Will Sutherland, allrounder were there and had an interaction with the waiting media and followed by a Q-A session on the stage.
They then signed autographs for Cricket fans and posed for photographs. The queue was long and the cricketers made it fast but heavy rain intervened, but the fans were steadfast ti get their autographs. The players shifted in the organisers tent and continued the signing. Incredibly, the popularity of cricket is immense.
Later former Pakistan Captain Younus Khan, visiting Australia, talked to the rain soaked media. The rain gods were intense and cricket fans had to wait for his autographs. He talked about the coming cricket season and issues relating to the Pakistani cricket team.
Meanwhile, a stall dispersed information about Cricket Australia’s CLAD (culturally and linguistically diverse) Scholarship to a student who could apply for its Sport & Business Program in 2005. The scholarship will go to those applicants who have completed Year 12 and one parent is born overseas. Another stall sold cricket memorabilia.
It was a fun day for Cricket fans, and getting their favourite cricketers autographs and a possible snap impressed them. No doubt, Cricket remains a popular sport in Australia.
