With Cricket Australia missing out on an estimated $30 million due to the short Ashes Tests in Perth and Melbourne this summer, the players themselves have also copped an $8 million blow. And the MCG is now at risk of copping a ban after the ICC slapped the iconic Aussie venue with a demerit point and ‘unsatisfactory’ rating on Monday evening.
The Boxing Day Test finished on day two after the pitch proved treacherous for batting and very friendly for bowling. Curator Matt Page left 10mm of grass on the surface (three more than normal) because he was wary of it getting too dry due to hot weather later in the match.
The Australian players will miss out on about $8 million due to the short Ashes Tests in Perth and Melbourne. Image: Getty
But it proved too much as ball dominated bat on a pitch that did plenty for the seamers. A whopping 36 wickets fell in just six sessions of play as neither team managed to make 200 and the highest individual score was Travis Head’s 46.
MCG cops official demerit point from ICC
The ICC handed down an official rating of ‘unsatisfactory’ on Monday evening, which sees the MCG cop a demerit point on its record. ‘Unsatisfactory’ is the second-lowest rating on a scale of very good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory and unfit.
If a venue accrues six demerit points in a five-year period, it’s banned from hosting international matches for 12 months. The MCG received a demerit point in 2018 after a dull and lifeless pitch produced a draw in that year’s Boxing Day Test.
In response, the Melbourne Cricket Club brought Page over from Western Australia to inject some life back into the iconic venue’s pitch. He managed to achieve that, but this year he went too far in favour of the bowlers.
The ICC is expected to come down hard on the MCG. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images)
Aussie players miss out on $8 million
Cricket Australia lost about $5 million in earnings from the two-day Test in Perth. But in Melbourne the figure is estimated to be more like $25 million. The MCG holds about 40,000 more fans than Perth Stadium, and with ticket sales, food and beverage and broadcast revenue taken into account, CA has reportedly missed out on about $25m from days three and four being wiped out.
The players receive a 27.5 per cent share of Cricket Australia’s revenue under the current model, meaning they’ll miss out on about $8 million in potential earnings as well. The money flows down to players at all levels, meaning the 11 Aussie players involved in the fourth Test will be out of pocket several thousands of dollars each.