Glenn McGrath fires warning to Cricket Australia chiefs after poor crowds at the MCG and in Perth

Glenn McGrath has warned Cricket Australia executives about the danger of cramming additional fixtures into an already busy calendar, insisting they could turn fans away from the game.

Australia beat the West Indies by 164 runs in the opening Test of the summer in Perth in front of a largely deserted Optus Stadium.

A combined crowd of just over 42,500 passed through the turnstiles at the 60,000-capacity venue during the five days of play. 

Just over 42,000 fans combined attended the five days of play during the first Test of the series between Australia and the West Indies

The 7,846 crowd that attended day four on a Saturday was one of the lowest ever attendances for a day of Test cricket in Perth, despite not falling on a school day or a traditional work day.

It continued a worrying trend for the game in Australian cricket, with sparse crowds also a talking point during Australia’s recent 3-0 ODI whitewash of England and, albeit to a lesser extent, during the T20 World Cup.

Only 10,406 rocked up for the final match of the three-match series at the MCG – the lowest crowd for an ODI involving Australia at the iconic venue.

And McGrath, talking ahead of the TMS Tour of the UK with Jonathan Agnew in April next year, believes squeezing more games in an already saturated calendar could be detrimental to the sport.

Glenn McGrath believes cricket administrators need to be careful about the scheduling

‘I think the powers that be really have to be careful that every series and every match has to mean something,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘You have to be playing for something. These three ODIs against England just seemed to be thrown in with no real thought, so I think that’s the danger [of having too much cricket]. 

‘Three ODIs after a big tournament like the T20 World Cup that really didn’t count for much [wasn’t a great advert for the game]. 

‘I think they have to be really careful not to do that too much because the crowds showed [the lack of interest].’ 

Only 7,846 fans attended day four of Australia’s first Test against the West Indies, one of the smallest-ever crowds for a day of Test cricket in Perth

The three-game ODI series against England last month was also plagued by poor attendances 

Admittedly, crowds for the second Test against the West Indies have been far healthier, with a combined 51,000 spectators attending the first two days. 

Some have sought to put paltry attendances down to the Aussie team’s stance on social issues – Pat Cummins’ team took a knee for the first time in a Test ahead of the series opener against the West Indies.

The suggestion the ball-tampering scandal of 2018 irreparably tarnished the Test team’s reputation in the eyes of its fans has also been proposed as an explanation. 

So does McGrath believe Australians have fallen out of love with their cricket team?

Some have put down the poor attendances to the poor reputation of the Aussie team following the ball-tampering scandal that involved David Warner and Steve Smith in 2018 (above) 

‘I think the Australian team need to take into consideration the public perception.’ he explained. 

‘At the end of the day you need that public support and they got that back after what happened in South Africa in 2018 and now it’s about maintaining it.’

Cricket Australia were also heavily criticised for scheduling the start of the Perth Test on a Wednesday and for a lack of promotion. 

The start date was a result of the tight scheduling window following the Twenty20 World Cup and three-match ODI series against England, which was itself crowbarred into the only available slot on the calendar. 

The team’s social justice stance has also been suggested as the factor behind poor attendances, as the Aussies took the knee for the first time before a Test match last week

The continue growth of franchise cricket has only exacerbated the problem. The IPL now stretches to 70 games played over a two-month period.

This year it kicked off on March 26, right in the middle of England’s third Test in the West Indies and only a day after Australia had wrapped up its three-Test series in Pakistan.

India’s Test players only had a 10-day turnaround from the end of their series against Sri Lanka.  

Meanwhile, the Big Bash League gets underway on December 13, almost a month before Australia’s Test series against South Africa ends on January 8.

McGrath believes cricket administrators must ensure each series is meaningful, as opposed to the three-match ODI series that Australia and England played after the T20 World Cup (above)

And McGrath suggested that while there was room for all three formats to thrive, cricket administrators were at risk of overkill. 

‘Obviously with the IPL being longer, the international cricket schedule is going to be pretty tight and has to be managed really well,’ he explained.

‘I think there’s a lot of pressure on that powers that be to get that [the right balance] right. 

‘I think the powers that be and the associations really need to be careful. The schedule is pretty tight and we can’t be having tournaments that don’t mean anything.’

Test Match Special Live – The Ashes Special, with Jonathan Agnew and Glenn McGrath, tours the UK from April 5. For tickets and venue information visit www.fane.co.uk/TMS