Though many but the most passionate cricket supporters will wave their hand dismissively and suggest that it is just a sidenote to the looming return clash with India, this is an historic clash that deserves better than the squabbling over where it will be played and how long the match will go for.
It has been eighteen months since the current Future Tours Program was released, and we found that Australia would indeed play its first Test match against cricket’s newest Test nation, and since that day the tour group that I am a part of (the 2nd XI Tour Squad) had pencilled in that Test as one we would be definitely attending. Why? Its historic nature, to be a part of that first ever clash between the two nations at the highest level. To see at close range just how players like Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Raman would go in Test conditions against the best Australia can produce. To say that we were there for that occasion. Many will scoff at this statement. Many will and do see it as a massive waste of time, that the game will probably be over in two days, that Australia will win by a thousand runs.
To me, the result is meaningless. For cricket to survive and grow, other nations must be able to dip their toe into the highest level of cricket and find their way. And they need to be able to be promoted as such. Zimbabwe (1992) and Bangladesh (1999) have both been relatively ignored by Australia since their elevation to Test status, as cricket in Australia becomes more concerned about money and gate takings and TV ratings than the development of cricket in other nations. It is something I believe that needs to be addressed, certainly as we move into this post-pandemic period.
COVID-19 has done Afghanistan no favours, and assuming they are able to tour and compete in this Test match, they will likely do so in front of an empty stadium. Again, the naysayers will suggest that “even without the no-crowd mandate, no one would turn up to watch them!” These are generally the people who rarely attend any cricket unless they are sitting near the bar and can drink all day without watching the actual game anyway. What is true is that the match won’t draw attendance days of 10,000, but outside of England and India no other touring team is guaranteed of doing that in Australia either.
The Afghanistan Test has been set to be played in Perth, which has missed out on one of the four Indian Tests to Brisbane. There is plenty of indignation from the city given they have two Test venues and they are ‘only’ getting the ‘booby prize’. They believe their brand new Optus Stadium is a far better venue than the ageing facilities of the ‘Gabba. On the other hand, Australia has not lost at Test at the ‘Gabba since the 1988/89 season against the West Indies, and it is no secret the national team see it as their good luck charm and want to play at the venue. As a result, Cricket Australia has chosen results over facilities and the W.A.C.A. is not happy about it. Added to this is that due to arrangements with the venue and the fact that the men’s T20 World Cup seems less likely to go ahead this season, the Test will be played at Optus Stadium spectators or not, even though the W.A.C.A Ground would be a much more suitable venue under the circumstances.
To add even more imbalance to the match, it is going to be a day/night Test with the pink ball, something Afghanistan will not have experienced and one which Australia thrives in. Yes, there’s no doubt that it is being done in the hope that there will be someone to watch it in prime time hours on the east coast, but it hands another advantage to the home team that they probably don’t need.
Ideally, this match should have been played in Canberra, allowing a greater population well of three capital cities and large country areas the ability to turn up and watch Test cricket. Securing India for a five Test series would also have allayed the problems of one of the five major cricket centres being peeved at not being deemed ‘good enough’ to host a major Test match. What seems easy on paper obviously is not so negotiable to different cricket boards around the world.
All of this together does mean that the Afghanistan Test match will become an afterthought rather than a landmark match it should be. No one knows yet whether spectators will be able to attend, and the pink ball day/night conditions hands Australia’s mighty pace attack another huge advantage. While no one truly believes Afghanistan can survive the might of the Australian XI, surely making it a traditional match would have been a fairer setting. If the gates are opened to the public, my intention is still to be there, to witness history and hopefully some excellent cricket from an emerging team on the world stage.
It has been eighteen months since the current Future Tours Program was released, and we found that Australia would indeed play its first Test match against cricket’s newest Test nation, and since that day the tour group that I am a part of (the 2nd XI Tour Squad) had pencilled in that Test as one we would be definitely attending. Why? Its historic nature, to be a part of that first ever clash between the two nations at the highest level. To see at close range just how players like Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Raman would go in Test conditions against the best Australia can produce. To say that we were there for that occasion. Many will scoff at this statement. Many will and do see it as a massive waste of time, that the game will probably be over in two days, that Australia will win by a thousand runs.
To me, the result is meaningless. For cricket to survive and grow, other nations must be able to dip their toe into the highest level of cricket and find their way. And they need to be able to be promoted as such. Zimbabwe (1992) and Bangladesh (1999) have both been relatively ignored by Australia since their elevation to Test status, as cricket in Australia becomes more concerned about money and gate takings and TV ratings than the development of cricket in other nations. It is something I believe that needs to be addressed, certainly as we move into this post-pandemic period.
COVID-19 has done Afghanistan no favours, and assuming they are able to tour and compete in this Test match, they will likely do so in front of an empty stadium. Again, the naysayers will suggest that “even without the no-crowd mandate, no one would turn up to watch them!” These are generally the people who rarely attend any cricket unless they are sitting near the bar and can drink all day without watching the actual game anyway. What is true is that the match won’t draw attendance days of 10,000, but outside of England and India no other touring team is guaranteed of doing that in Australia either.
The Afghanistan Test has been set to be played in Perth, which has missed out on one of the four Indian Tests to Brisbane. There is plenty of indignation from the city given they have two Test venues and they are ‘only’ getting the ‘booby prize’. They believe their brand new Optus Stadium is a far better venue than the ageing facilities of the ‘Gabba. On the other hand, Australia has not lost at Test at the ‘Gabba since the 1988/89 season against the West Indies, and it is no secret the national team see it as their good luck charm and want to play at the venue. As a result, Cricket Australia has chosen results over facilities and the W.A.C.A. is not happy about it. Added to this is that due to arrangements with the venue and the fact that the men’s T20 World Cup seems less likely to go ahead this season, the Test will be played at Optus Stadium spectators or not, even though the W.A.C.A Ground would be a much more suitable venue under the circumstances.
To add even more imbalance to the match, it is going to be a day/night Test with the pink ball, something Afghanistan will not have experienced and one which Australia thrives in. Yes, there’s no doubt that it is being done in the hope that there will be someone to watch it in prime time hours on the east coast, but it hands another advantage to the home team that they probably don’t need.
Ideally, this match should have been played in Canberra, allowing a greater population well of three capital cities and large country areas the ability to turn up and watch Test cricket. Securing India for a five Test series would also have allayed the problems of one of the five major cricket centres being peeved at not being deemed ‘good enough’ to host a major Test match. What seems easy on paper obviously is not so negotiable to different cricket boards around the world.
All of this together does mean that the Afghanistan Test match will become an afterthought rather than a landmark match it should be. No one knows yet whether spectators will be able to attend, and the pink ball day/night conditions hands Australia’s mighty pace attack another huge advantage. While no one truly believes Afghanistan can survive the might of the Australian XI, surely making it a traditional match would have been a fairer setting. If the gates are opened to the public, my intention is still to be there, to witness history and hopefully some excellent cricket from an emerging team on the world stage.
