Cricket Australia is reportedly facing a significant financial loss after the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) concluded inside two days, with CA chief saying short Test games were “bad for business”.
England registered their first Test victory in Australia since 2011 as they stunned the home side by four wickets in the fixture that finished inside two days.
The CA is likely to suffer a loss of around AUD10 million as a sell-out crowd of more than 90,000, including a visiting England contingent of around 20,000, was due for the third day of the game, according to a report by The Guardian.
The expected losses add to an estimated AUD3 million in revenue already lost from the Perth series opener, which also ended within two days.
Furthermore, the two-day finish will result in lost sales in merchandise, food and drinks.
The Melbourne pitch was prepared with 10 millimetres of grass on the wicket, making it heavily favourable for the bowlers with plenty of movement and bounce under overcast skies.
Speaking on SEN radio on the morning of the second day’s play, CA Chief Todd Greenberg said a trend towards shorter Test matches was not in CA’s interest.
“A simple phrase I’d 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,” he added.
A host of former greats have been critical of the Melbourne pitch, with former England captain Michael Vaughan on Saturday calling it “a joke”.
“This is selling the game short,” he added, while another ex-England skipper, Alastair Cook, branded it “an unfair contest”.
Curators in Australia are traditionally independent when it comes to preparing pitches, both from captains and Cricket Australia.
However, Greenberg suggested a more interventionist approach might be needed.
“It’s hard not to get more involved when you see the impact on the sport, especially commercially, he said.
“I’m not suggesting I’ll go around talking to ground staff, but we do have to have a careful eye on what our expectations are over the course of a summer.”
— With additional input from AFP
