Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg has courted the controversial possibility of playing the Boxing Day Test as a pink ball affair, while MCC chief Stuart Fox has admitted he would have preferred Australia picked a spin bowler this week.
Speaking before play on the biggest day of the cricket calendar, Greenberg spoke glowingly of the interest in the pink ball game set to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket at the MCG in March 2027, and did not rule out a day/night game being played here in the Boxing Day slot in future.
The possibility of playing a day-night Boxing Day Test is still being discussed.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s not off the cards,” Greenberg said. “We’ve been talking a lot about the strength of pink ball cricket. It was amazing this year in Brisbane, it has been good in Adelaide, in March 2027 it will get its opportunity here in Melbourne.”
Fox was quick to rebut the suggestion with his preference: “I actually love the tradition personally, I love the tradition of a day game here. I think the day/night Tests have been great in Adelaide and Brisbane. I love a day AFL Grand Final and I love a day Boxing Day Test.”
But the scenario where the Boxing Day Test is played in prime time should not be disregarded, particularly if CA move ahead with plans to bring private investors into the Big Bash League and that tournament has a later start date.
Fox said that he would have liked to see Australia choose a spin bowler for the game, after Victorian Todd Murphy did not even make the final 12.
“Honestly, I would, but it is what it is,” Fox said. “We’ve produced a great pitch for the last seven years, we’ve had the best possible ratings and I don’t think it will be any different today.
“I think you’ll get a bit of movement early, we have had challenging conditions leading up to the Test, which makes it even harder for Matthew Page, so we’re looking forward to it. It obviously gets hotter and hopefully, we get a bit more pace throughout the Test.”
Greenberg said that he hoped the Melbourne Test would get to day five, as had been the case in Adelaide last week, and that ground staff would be held accountable if a well-grassed pitch resulted in an early finish, as would the selectors if Australia’s attack was unbalanced by the absence of spin.
“We want cricket wickets that have a balance between bat and ball,” he said.
“We’ve got enormous faith in the venue, in the team here, in the people and the experts. Like all of us, players, administrators, we’ll all be held accountable, and we’re all held accountable to our performances.
“This is another big performance over the next five days, I hope it does go five days, but these guys know what they’re doing when they’re preparing cricket wickets and I have no doubt our selectors and coaching staff know what they’re doing on their selections as well.”