Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins says if moving the traditionally sacred Melbourne and Sydney Boxing Day and New Year Tests enhances the game, he will support the changes.
Cummins’ comments follow Cricket Australia’s stance to not endorse Test venues beyond next season, and the South Australia government’s audacious bid to lure the New Year’s Test away from Sydney.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has declined to lock in the Boxing Day Test, saying it has to “represent value” before his government signs off on a new venue hire agreement with the Melbourne Cricket Club and CA.
David Warner delivered a double century during last summer’s Boxing Day Test, but it’s now over to the state government and the MCC to deliver for Cricket Australia.Credit: Getty Images
Cummins, one of six NSW stars in the Test team, showed no great affection for the Sydney Test, which has been badly hindered by poor weather recently.
“I’ve got no strong views,” Cummins said of the Melbourne and Sydney Tests. “I think the way that Test summer works is always pretty good, but if anyone has any out-there ideas that’s going to attract more fans to watch on TV or at the ground, then I think that’s a good thing.
“Head office, obviously, look after all the scheduling, and we’re pretty happy to go along with whatever is happening.”
The MCC’s three-year deal with cricket’s governing body expired last summer, but next summer’s Test against Pakistan has been locked in despite a new contract yet to be signed.
CA has refused to publicly guarantee the Boxing Day Test will remain at the MCG beyond this summer, as the sport under new chairman Mike Baird, the former NSW premier, seeks to emulate the AFL and secure more government funding for what it describes as its marquee events.
This bidding will only intensify, for the blue-chip tours of India – set to extend its trip to five Tests in 2024-25 – and England, in 2025-26, are on the horizon.
Andrews said on Tuesday that the government, through sports minister Steve Dimopoulos, would have discussions with CA.
“The Boxing Day Test is an important part of our major events calendar, but again it has to represent value. So, we’ll talk to Cricket Australia, as we do with all the major sporting codes about all the different events that we host,” Andrews said.
“We are the major events, sporting capital of our nation – that really can’t be questioned.”
Dimopoulos told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald the event deserved to remain in Melbourne.
“The Boxing Day Test at the MCG has been the highlight of the cricketing calendar for more than 40 years, and it remains an iconic event,” Dimopoulos said.
“The biggest test of cricket deserves the biggest stadium, and the Boxing Day Test at the MCG attracts massive crowds.”
The MCC was contacted for comment. The NSW government has had preliminary discussions with CA about the value of the New Year’s Test.
Under new chairman Mike Baird, Cricket Australia is seeking to extract more in value for its home Test matches.Credit: Fairfax Media
Victoria’s renegotiations come as the South Australian Cricket Association seeks to poach the New Year’s Test from the SCG in a long-term deal. The SACA submitted its bid in January. SACA cricket officials say there will likely be state government funding should the New Year’s Test be won. However, the government may still provide strong funding should the SACA be awarded a pre-Christmas Test on a consistent date.
The SACA last week said it had been guaranteed key pre-Christmas Tests against India and England.
The MCC and the SCG Trust are determined to retain their iconic events, and CA understands the key role these events have not only in their states for the public and economy, but on the cricketing calendar as a whole for they are the only Tests that are annually locked in to certain dates.
However, Perth’s modern Optus Stadium, a rebuilt Gabba later this decade, and the likelihood of a new stadium in Hobart mean these stadiums will chase prime events, with Test cricket in Australia still a prized asset. CA also wants state associations to deliver a more festive feel leading into and through their home Test, and potentially help with marketing and other costs.
That CA failed to secure the major uplift it wanted in its latest broadcast rights deal – the AFL signed a $4.5 billion television deal with Fox and Channel Seven over the next seven years, compared to CA’s $1.5 billion agreement with the same broadcasters over the same period – means it needs to seek more revenue from elsewhere.
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