Cricket Australia lost in the region of $3.3 million for the Perth Test that ended in two days. They are yet to count their losses for another two-day finish in Melbourne, as the Boxing Day Test between Australia and England ended in 141.2 overs. Irrespective of the hard numbers, it’s all but certain that the Australian cricket’s governing body will have to take another big pecuniary hit. CA is not quite in pink as regards its financial health and its CEO, Todd Greenberg, has voiced concerns.
Greenberg spoke to SEN after 20 wickets fell on the first day of the Boxing Day Test that saw a turnout of close to 95,000. Day 2 was a sell-out as well, but the game ended an-hour-and-a-half into the third session. “As mesmerising and fascinating and enjoyable as it (a 20-wicket day) was to watch as a fan, we want Test cricket clearly to go for longer,” Greenberg said.
Then came the practical part of it, how in terms of commerce, short Test matches aren’t desirable. “A simple phrase I would use is short Tests are bad for business. I can’t be much more blunt than that. So I would like to see a slightly broader balance between the bat and the ball. I thought yesterday slightly favoured the ball. The batters have some ownership in some of that, it’s not all around the pitch, but we have got some challenges,” said the CA chief executive.
Can CA take such regular financial hits? Greenberg spoke about having a sleepless night. “I didn’t sleep well last night, put it that way,” he said. “It was an amazing day of Test cricket, so for that record number of people who were here, boy, they have had an experience. But our challenge is to make sure we can continue those experiences day after day. That’s the challenge for all of us.”
CA doesn’t interfere with pitch preparations and the curators have complete freedom. The question is, whether a bit of monitoring is required going ahead? Will Matt Page, the MCG curator, face tough questions? A host of former cricketers were critical of the lottery surface, where batsmen barely had a chance.
On the cricket side, the focus now shifts to the ICC match referee Jeff Crowe. The Perth pitch was given top ratings. The G might not be so lucky.
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