‘Australian sports inclusion efforts undermined by Modi embrace’
Rana Hussain has criticized the AFL and Cricket Australia (CA) for their recent engagement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
MELBOURNE, Australia (MNTV) – Australian sports broadcaster and diversity advocate Rana Hussain has criticized the AFL and Cricket Australia (CA) for their recent engagement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguing that the organizations risk alienating minority communities while expanding their presence in India.
In an article published by The Guardian, Hussain said she felt “heartbroken” after seeing AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh alongside Modi during the Indian leader’s visit to Australia as part of a trade and cultural delegation.
The visit coincided with major announcements from Australian sporting organizations seeking stronger ties with India. Cricket Australia unveiled plans for the Big Bash League’s first match in India, while the AFL highlighted ambitions to grow Australian rules football in the country.
Hussain, who identifies as Indian, Muslim and Australian, said the images carried a deeper significance for many members of Australia’s Indian diaspora.
“For many Indian Sikhs, Muslims and Christians, Modi’s name represents a decade of growing fear,” she wrote, citing criticism of the Indian government by international human rights organizations over its treatment of religious minorities, journalists and civil society groups.
Hussain argued that the sporting organizations’ engagement with Modi highlighted tensions between commercial ambitions and commitments to diversity and inclusion.
She said the AFL and Cricket Australia have invested heavily in multicultural programs and outreach efforts aimed at Indian Australians, but questioned whether they had adequately considered how minority communities within the diaspora might view their public association with the Indian leader.
“Sport understands symbolism,” Hussain wrote. “It knows that who stands beside whom sends a message.”
According to Hussain, the issue is not whether sports organizations should engage with governments but whether they should consult more broadly with affected communities when such engagements occur.
She said minority voices within Australia’s Indian diaspora often feel overlooked, adding that organizations promoting diversity can undermine trust if they fail to listen to differing perspectives.
“When organizations celebrate diversity but don’t listen to the people most affected by their decisions, people notice,” she wrote. “Trust begins to erode.”
Hussain linked the issue to broader challenges faced by Australian sports organizations in attracting and retaining diverse talent and building stronger connections with multicultural communities.
She argued that inclusion strategies alone are insufficient if communities feel excluded from important conversations. “You cannot build belonging through strategy while eroding it through your decisions,” she wrote.
Hussain’s comments carry particular weight because of her long-standing involvement with both organizations. She previously led diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Cricket Australia and remains a member of its Indian ambassador group and a match-day host. She also serves on the AFL’s equity, inclusion and safety committee and was among the league’s original multicultural ambassadors.
Hussain said she continues to believe Australian sport can play a powerful role in fostering social cohesion and creating a sense of belonging.
She described sport as one of the few institutions capable of bringing together people from different backgrounds and contributing to a shared national identity.
However, she said the reaction surrounding Modi’s visit exposed a gap between public commitments to inclusion and the experiences of some minority communities.
“This isn’t about believing I should have had a veto, or that one conversation would have changed the outcome,” Hussain wrote. “But if these organizations wanted another perspective, they could have just picked up the phone.”
The broader question, she argued, is whether sporting institutions are willing to engage with complex and sometimes uncomfortable viewpoints when pursuing international partnerships and growth opportunities.
“Belonging isn’t something you parade,” Hussain wrote. “It’s something people feel. Last week, many of us didn’t.”
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