Sydney’s ANZ Stadium has drawn a crowd of almost 60,000 to a Twenty20 International and now it’s time for the MCG to deliver.
Victoria and Australia T20 allrounder David Hussey is banking on “90,000 screaming Victorians” turning up on Friday night to see Australia host India.
As Cricket NSW chief David Gilbert talks up the possibility of drawing 82,000 fans to a T20 match between Australia and England in two years’ time, Hussey says Melbourne provides the best atmosphere for big-game cricket.
“Coming here, the home of Australian cricket at the MCG, hopefully 90,000 people there, there’s no better feeling,” Hussey said on Thursday.
Cricket Victoria chief Tony Dodemaide said a crowd of over 70,000 would be terrific.
“Sydney probably don’t have the background or culture of big crowds attending sporting events,” Dodemaide told AAP.
“To get excited about a 59,000 crowd is probably going to be amusing to a lot of Victorians.
“Sixty thousand is a figure we get regularly here.
“Melbourne is where major events belong.”
Dodemaide said the 2015 World Cup final belonged at the MCG.
“But you don’t just sit back and assume that would be the case,” he said.
“We need to prove it again.”
Hussey also backed Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland’s suggestion a two-match series for T20 Internationals may be too short.
Hussey said the success of this summer’s Big Bash League domestic T20 series showed the popularity of the ultra-short format.
“Maybe a triangular series that involves Sri Lanka and going all around the country,” he said.
Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Paul Marsh says the heavy scheduling of one-day international (ODI) cricket is a major concern.
“It has been flogged to death all around the world and people are tired of watching it,” Marsh told AAP.
“I just hope administrators don’t do the same thing to Twenty20.
“There’s too much one-day cricket and there’s not enough context in the one-day cricket.
“The problem has got worse since the introduction of Twenty20.
“From a TV perspective the 50-over game is still valuable.
“Something does have to give. At some point Cricket Australia and the other cricket boards have to make the call.
“You can’t have everything. You can’t be that greedy.”
Marsh said the effect of the over-programming of one-day cricket was obvious.
“Everyone is talking down this (upcoming ODI) tri-series,” he said.
“It could be a whole lot more interesting if we get to a point where there’s less one-day cricket.
“If we had a three-match series against India and a three-match series against Sri Lanka (in one-dayers) and we had the same in Twenty20 and more players available for the Big Bash tournament, the summer becomes a whole lot more interesting.”
