Cricket New South Wales said its Mosaic Cricket program is helping to uncover the next generation of stars from Australia's multicultural communities.
Nasim Samad runs the Bangladesh Gold Cup tournament, one of eight multicultural competitions which forms part of the Mosaic.
He said the program provides an important pathway for up-and-coming cricketers from multicultural communities.
"We always had a hidden treasure - all it needed was the polish to shine," he told SBS world News.
Nick Cummins runs the “Thunder Nation” tournament as part of his role as General Manager of the Sydney Thunder.
He said Mosaic encourages participants to become part of the Australian cricket family.
"It’s really about participation and about connecting with each other and also with cricket in NSW."
Founder of the Mosaic program, Iraqi refugee Sam Almaliki, said he never imagined where cricket could take him.
Cricket Australia's Community Engagement Manager, Sam Almaliki, addresses the Mosaic Cricket Program celebration in Blacktown Source: SBS News
"I came across alot of South Asian Tamils detainees at the Villawood who were playing cricket that's how I got exposed to the game."
He said he hopes others get the same opportunity to play the game at a professional level.
More than 150 students from the Australian Islamic College of Sydney’s Mount Druitt Campus are currently in the middle of a four-week "Into Cricket" skills Programme at Blacktown’s International Sportspark.
Cricketers Gurinder Sandhu and Lisa Sthalekar, who have both played for Australia, say it is important that the sport reach into multiculturally diverse communities like Blacktown to recruit the nation's next cricketing stars.
Australia and Sydney Thunder Bowler Gurinder Sandhu speaks to the Mosaic Cricket crowd at Blacktown Source: SBS News
"It's a sport for all so we're just trying to create a bit of a pathway and get as many people involved in the sport as we can," Sandhu said.
Australia and Sydney Sixers All-Rounder Lisa Sthalekar pictured on the left Source: SBS News
