There’s no point crying over spilt milk, but the WACA has more than three million reasons for tears after being left off the Test calendar for Australia’s 2014-15 summer of cricket.
The WACA has hosted a Test match every summer since 1977-78, but were controversially left off the schedule when Cricket Australia released the fixtures for India’s four-Test tour Down Under next year.
India will play Test matches at the SCG, MCG, Adelaide Oval and the Gabba, but Perth will miss out on the traditional format of the game.
The WACA will seek up to four extra one-day internationals and T20s next summer as compensation, in addition to the three World Cup matches scheduled for Perth in early 2015.
But that’s of little consolation to the WACA, with chief executive Christina Matthews predicting the absence of a Test could cost the organisation between $3 million and $5 million in lost revenue.
“The ongoing effect this loss will have on the WACA and cricket in Western Australia will be devastating,” Matthews said.
“When we do commercial arrangements, they are often put in place for five-year periods that are based on potential levels of content.
“Certain matches deliver better returns.
“So if you take one out, it then impacts the overall agreement.”
Matthews was surprised cricket broadcaster the Nine Network didn’t protest the decision given they usually receive a ratings boost from Perth fixtures given the unique time slot.
“But it falls outside the ratings period, so it’s not as important to Channel 9 as it would have been during their peak ratings period,” Matthews said.