Brief test matches not better for trade: Cricket Australia

Melbourne: Cricket Australia chief executive officer (CEO) Todd Greenberg has warned that "short-term Test matches are bad for business". After losing 20 wickets despite a record attendance on the first day of the Boxing Day Test, he admitted that the situation had given him sleepless nights.
Cricket Australia had hoped that the ongoing Boxing Day Test between Australia and England would break all attendance records, as ticket sales for the first three days in advance and ticket demand throughout the series had been exceptional despite the series being decided.

However, 19 wickets fell on the first day of the two-day Test in Perth, costing the board around A$5 million (US$3.3 million). Now if the Melbourne Test is also over in just six sessions, Cricket Australia could once again face a huge financial loss, despite a record 94,199 fans at the stadium on the first day and a sell-out second day.

Speaking to SEN before the start of the second day's play, when Greenberg was asked if the fall of 20 wickets in one day was a moment of concern, he replied: "My blunt answer is 'yes'. As a fan it was fascinating and exciting, that's what we all want to see in Test cricket."
He added: "Simply put, short Test matches are not good for business. I want the balance between the ball and the bat to be there. I think the pitch yesterday tilted a bit too much towards the bowlers. Although the batsmen have some responsibility and the pitch can't all be blamed, we definitely have some serious challenges ahead of us."

Many former players and pundits criticized the MCG pitch on the first day, saying it was too favorable for fast bowlers. When Greenberg was asked if his management would interfere with pitching to extend the duration of matches, he said: "Historically we have had a policy of not interfering with pitching, but when it has a commercial impact on the game it becomes difficult to remain silent. I'm not saying we will give direct instructions to the ground staff, but we have to consider what our expectations are for the season."
It should be noted that Cricket Australia has already laid off many of its administrative employees this year as part of a cost-cutting campaign, and efforts are being made to save in other areas, including high performance. Greenberg is currently involved in the complex process of bringing private investment into the Big Bash League, so the premature end of the Test match could prove to be a new financial burden for him.

Greenberg concluded by saying: "The truth is, I didn't sleep well last night. It was a memorable day of Test cricket and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed it, but our real challenge is how to sustain that experience for the next several days."