Australia chief executive says Forcing Tests could ‘bankrupt’ cricket countries

Greenberg Advocates for Meaningful Test Cricket Calendar

Australia’s cricket chief, Todd Greenberg, believes tailoring a Test calendar would help smaller nations, emphasizing that Test matches are “better where they mean something.” His comments came in a statement marking 100 days until England’s home Ashes series against Australia, with the first match set for Perth.

The Ashes: A Benchmark for Test Cricket’s Appeal

Greenberg highlighted the Ashes as a prime example of Test cricket’s potential, noting:

“The Ashes series is as enormous as it is in terms of viewership and profit because it’s a match that earns attention and means something to the fans.”

He pointed to England’s recent 2-2 thriller against India (played in sold-out stadiums) and Australia/New Zealand’s dominant wins over West Indies/Zimbabwe as evidence of the format’s uneven competitiveness.

Divisions in Test Cricket? Greenberg Urges Caution

While some propose splitting Test cricket into divisions to boost competitiveness, Greenberg questioned the ideal number of Test-playing nations:

• “Preserving Tests is best achieved by focusing on matches where the red ball is the priority.”
• Australia’s Ashes viewership has been “off the charts,” proving demand for high-stakes series.

The recent statement by Todd Greenberg, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, advocating for a tailored Test match calendar is far more than a simple administrative suggestion; it is a direct response to the most pressing existential crisis facing the longest form of the game. His comment that Test matches are “better where they mean something” cuts to the very heart of the issue. In an era dominated by the financial might and viewer-friendly brevity of T20 franchise leagues, the traditional five-day format is struggling to maintain its relevance outside of a few iconic, revenue-generating rivalries. The context of his statement is crucial—it was made to mark the 100-day countdown to an Ashes series, the oldest and most fiercely contested rivalry in the sport. The Ashes represents the pinnacle of what Test cricket can be: a contest imbued with over a century of history, national pride, and immense sporting significance that ensures every session, every ball, is consumed with passionate intensity by fans in both nations and around the world. This is the gold standard. However, for many other nations, particularly the so-called “smaller” ones like West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and even New Zealand to a certain extent, the Test calendar is often a haphazard assortment of mismatched series that fail to capture the public’s imagination and, consequently, struggle to be financially viable.

The core of Greenberg’s argument is that the current structure does a disservice to these nations. They frequently play series that feel like afterthoughts, scheduled in awkward windows to fill the calendar, often against opponents whose fans and media may not view the contest with the same fervor as a marquee event. This leads to poorly attended stadiums, diminished broadcast revenue, and a general sense of apathy that makes it increasingly difficult for these cricket boards to justify investing in their Test teams. When a Test match feels inconsequential, it becomes vulnerable to the economic realities of modern cricket. Players, particularly those not centrally contracted or with limited earning potential, face an impossible choice: represent their country in a sparsely watched two-match series with little prestige or take a more lucrative contract to play in a T20 league elsewhere in the world. This drain of talent further weakens the national team, leading to less competitive cricket, which in turn further diminishes interest and revenue, creating a vicious cycle that threatens the very survival of Test cricket in those regions.

Reference Website:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c07pvyl5n1go