- Exclusive
- Sport
- Cricket
- Australian cricket
Revealed: Winners and losers in Cricket Australia’s six-year Test schedule
By Malcolm Conn
A new long-term deal for Adelaide to host the pre-Christmas Test, beginning with the Ashes series in two years’ time, is set to cement the Adelaide Test’s marquee status in Australian cricket.
Perth is set to be another long-term winner, beating Brisbane to become the long-term host of Australia’s first Test of the summer, under a six-year scheduling plan to be announced by Cricket Australia.
The Gabba will be the big loser after uncertainty over the redevelopment of the Gabba due to various stadium plans for the Olympics, helped convince CA to look elsewhere.
Cricket Australia played a dead bat to questions about its new long-term Test schedule, with a spokesman saying: “The schedule is in the process of being finalised, and an announcement will be made in due course.”
This masthead revealed last week that Perth would be awarded the first Test against India next season, with Adelaide missing its favoured pre-Christmas spot by hosting the second Test. Brisbane will get the third, pre-Christmas Test followed by Boxing Day in Melbourne and New Year’s in Sydney.
Perth Stadium will be granted the first Test each summer for at least the next seven years.Credit: Getty
Next season’s details will be released by CA this week, but a second announcement after Easter will roll out a six-year plan to run from the Ashes series in 2025-26.
That plan, put together after co-operation between CA and state governments, will see costs deferred and more marketing of Test matches worth millions of dollars given the certainty of programming.
However, hosting rights have been allocated without the sort of state government investment that saw Victoria pay millions for a long-term agreement with the AFL to keep the grand final at the MCG, or South Australia shell out for the AFL’s “Gather Round” and LIV Golf.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas was furious with Cricket Australia for scheduling successive Tests against the lowly West Indies in Adelaide over the past two summers.
Brisbane’s Gabba will be the loser in a new long-term scheduling deal to be announced after Easter.Credit: Getty
“Cricket Australia really gave us a kick in the guts by giving us West Indies two years in a row, starting the Test on a Wednesday and prioritising Perth. Well, look how that turned out for them,” Malinauskas told News Corp in late December.
“The fact that we get West Indies two summers in a row is frankly disgraceful, particularly given the deliberate decision to schedule Australia versus Pakistan, in Perth straight up over and above Adelaide.
“Cricket Australia have reaped what they sowed by showing contempt to South Australian cricket attendees with the results of the crowd they got in Perth.”
Ironically, Malinauskas’ criticism of poor Perth Test crowds highlights one of the reasons Western Australia has been awarded the first Test each season as a promotional tool for the start of the summer, with CA determined to enhance Test cricket in Perth.
While the 40-year-old Gabba is reaching the end of its useful life, the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium has outstanding facilities but has been little more than a quarter full for Tests against the West Indies and Pakistan.
With much bigger crowds expected for the following two summer Tests against India and England, CA and the West Australian Cricket Association will attempt to build a Test match culture not possible at the old WACA Ground across the Swan River.
The WACA held just 18,000 and as many as half the fans were stuck in the burning sun during hot Perth summers.
Perth cricket fans have flocked to the new stadium to support the Scorchers in the Big Bash League. The highest attendance during the Test against Pakistan last December was 17,666 on day two, while the lowest attendance of six Scorchers matches was 28,494. Two of those matches attracted crowds of over 40,000.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.