For all the debate surrounding Cricket Australia’s decision to schedule the Big Bash League final on Australia Day, I actually think they’ve got one part absolutely right.

Bringing cricket back to one of the biggest public holidays on the Australian calendar is a positive. What doesn’t make sense is the reported decision not to play the Australian national anthem because it would be considered “insensitive.”

Who honestly thought that was a good idea?

The explanation from the BBL boss has only added to the confusion. For years, Cricket Australia moved away from playing any cricket on Australia Day because the date itself had become controversial and was viewed by some as insensitive. Now, we’re told it’s acceptable to stage the league’s showpiece event on January 26, but somehow it’s the national anthem that’s the problem.

How does that work?

If Australia Day is considered appropriate enough to host the BBL final, surely playing Advance Australia Fair is part of it. The two go hand in hand.

The national anthem isn’t some political statement. It’s played in schools, at community events, before our biggest sporting contests and at international tournaments around the world. We hear it when Australian athletes stand on top of the Olympic podium after winning gold. We hear it before Test matches, State of Origin games, grand finals and international fixtures across countless sports.

It’s part of representing Australia.

The national anthem represents the country as it stands today. Australians sing it proudly, regardless of where they or their families came from. It shouldn’t suddenly become something we’re embarrassed to play. And if you choose not to sing it, that’s your choice too.

Many others will no doubt focus on the anthem decision, and rightly so. Plenty of people have already questioned the logic behind it. It’s hard to see how anyone arrived at the conclusion that playing Australia’s biggest domestic cricket final on Australia Day is acceptable, but playing Australia’s anthem isn’t. It also seems to fit a pattern of Cricket Australia and the BBL making decisions that leave people scratching their heads, like scheduling the opening game of the season in India.

What also interests me is why Cricket Australia has changed its position on Australia Day in the first place.

After years of moving away from the date, why is it suddenly back?

It’s hard not to wonder whether this is simply a financial decision. A public holiday, school holidays still in effect around the country and the opportunity to stage the BBL’s biggest match on a day when families are looking for entertainment make enormous commercial sense.

If that’s the reason, then just say so.

There’s nothing wrong with making a business decision if you’re honest about it. Cricket Australia has a responsibility to grow the game, attract crowds and maximise television audiences. Australia Day provides exactly that opportunity.

I have great memories of playing cricket on Australia Day. The atmosphere was always different. There was a special feeling walking onto the ground in front of a packed, vibrant crowd. I felt proud to be an Australian in those moments, representing my country. Families filled the stands, kids ran around with cricket bats, people wore green and gold shirts with “Australia” across the front, waved Australian flags and proudly wore those wide-brimmed hats with corks hanging from them.

From the middle of the ground, it genuinely felt like a celebration of Australia through sport.

Cricket has always been woven into the fabric of Australian summers. Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Australia Day all carry their own unique atmosphere, and bringing cricket back to January 26 feels like reconnecting with that tradition.

So I welcome the BBL final being played on Australia Day.

As someone who was lucky enough to represent Australia, I know what it feels like to stand there while the national anthem plays. They are moments you never forget. They remind you that you’re representing something much bigger than yourself.

But if you’re going to embrace the occasion, then embrace all of it.

Don’t celebrate Australia Day while acting like Australia’s own national anthem is somehow inappropriate. That contradiction is what leaves me scratching my head.

If we’re going to put cricket back at the centre of one of Australia’s biggest public holidays, then let’s be proud enough to play and sing the anthem that has accompanied our greatest sporting moments for generations.