Aussies angry with SA push to 'pinch' Boxing Day test.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24701488-2882,00.html

ANGRY South African officials have said Cricket Australia is being greedy for claiming a monopoly on the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests.

Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola last night confirmed this summer would be the last time the Proteas would tour Australia over the holiday period, saying CA had refused a request to rotate the biggest two Tests on the cricketing calendar every four years.

This leaves the door open for cities such as Brisbane, which has not staged a Test involving South Africa since 1963, and Adelaide to host one of the game's most popular teams earlier in the summer when the Proteas return in four years.

"We would like to tour there any time, including Boxing Day, provided they are prepared to come to us one Boxing Day as well," Majola said.

"We have no issues coming to Australia on Boxing Day.

"The problem is, Australia do not want to leave Australia on Boxing Day, which in our country is also our peak period.

"In fact, we would choose to play them Boxing Day and (then) alternate, that's the first choice. They are not prepared to do that."

South Africa arrives in Perth next month for a three-Test campaign that begins at the WACA Ground on December 17 and then travels to Melbourne and Sydney.

After the limited-over series is complete in February, Australia heads to South Africa for another three Tests.

CA argues the Melbourne and Sydney matches are traditional and "iconic" events crucial to the enduring appeal of the sport and play a major role in balancing the books.

"It's the time of the year when Australians are on holidays and when the public interest in cricket is at its absolute peak," CA spokesman Peter Young said.

Both Tests generate strong crowds, which cannot be said for South Africa when it plays at home over the same period.

First-day crowds at the past three Boxing Day Tests reflect its popularity.

Last year 68,465 spectators attended against India, while 89,155 watched the Test against England in 2006. When South Africa toured in 2005, 71,910 turned up at the MCG on Boxing Day.

Test cricket's popularity has waned in South Africa, but Majola said that would change if Australia toured in the heart of summer and played in coastal cities such as Durban, which are full of holiday makers.

"If Australia would come to South Africa on Boxing Day, the ground would be full," Majola said.

"It's unfair that we have to travel to them every time to play Boxing Day.

"That's when our crowds come to the grounds like they do in Australia."

While it's understood Cricket South Africa receives about $300,000 in compensation for touring Australia in the Christmas period, CSA says far more money would be made if Australia went to South Africa.

"It's financial to us as well. That's our point," Majola said.

He said touring Australia before hosting the Aussies in the same summer was also a disadvantage.

"March-April, it's not the holiday period. People are back at work," he said.



Don't get up Red, I'll do it dont worry...

FFS, CSA reckon they'd make more money by hosting Australia on Boxing Day, when the MCG is basically chockers for two, three, even four days of the Test? Tests in SAffieland are generally attended by the two teams, the TV and radio coverage teams, a few other journos, and about a dozen family and friends of theplayers, from what I've seen on the box... Short of charging about a million a head, there's no way they'd be able to make a change like that financially viable for Australia.

Besides, South Africa lost their 'seniority' in the world cricketing order when they were excluded for apartheidt. Screw 'em, let the yarpies miss out on playing at the MCG and SCG.

Anyway, according to the ICC FTP, after the 09 tour, Australia is next due to tour South Africa in October 2011. So unless CSA isplanning on having Christmas held two months earlier, it's a redundant point.

SA are perfectly free to play Boxing day tests against other countries in SA ... we should not be one of those countries

They can come early in our season and play at Brisbane (the Gabba is sick of low drawing tests) and then play other countries in front of two and a dog at home. Boxing Day is sacrosanct here and is well patronised. South Africans don't attend test cricket.

Australian cricket in 'failing to see things from the other side's point of view' shock.

Bi-ron in being complete wanker shock.

sounds fair enough from the saffies. i think by the time the next ftp comes around australia might have some tours in dec-jan every 2-3 years. thats cricket season for 7/10 test nations

Australia and England are THE 2 main rivalries for most South African cricket fans. They don't care much about the other sides but these 2 teams usually fill up the grounds in the Republic.

Sweet, I'd be happy to get Sooky facing Midge on a Gabba green seamer early in the summer.

So removing one of the few Test matches (outside England) that actually makes money at the gate is fair enough? Please explain.

Gerald Majola in "being a drunken pr!ck" shock.

I'll take a stab that if the BCCI said that CricAus had to give up the Boxing Day Test to play some MODI series in India, they'd be bending over and lubing up for it.

Still wouldn't make it right though.

skully wrote:Gerald Majola in "being a drunken pr!ck" shock.

Yeah, how dare he put his own cricket board's interests ahead of Australia's.........

Henry wrote:

skully wrote:Gerald Majola in "being a drunken pr!ck" shock.

Yeah, how dare he put his own cricket board's interests ahead of Australia's.........

Indeed.

Zat wrote:So removing one of the few Test matches (outside England) that actually makes money at the gate is fair enough? Please explain.

Aye, I understand where they're coming from but with Test crowds being abysmal everywhere outside of Melbourne, Sydney and the English venues why change one of the few successes the game still has? I doubt Melbourne would draw over 50,000 on the first day for a Test in November or February.

Henry wrote:

skully wrote:Gerald Majola in "being a drunken pr!ck" shock.

Yeah, how dare he put his own cricket board's interests ahead of Australia's.........

If his countrymen started attending Tests against any other country in numbers then he might start to have the foundations of a case, but they don't. Is he saying that Australia is the only country that can draw a crowd to Tests in South Africa? In that case, the game's rooted and it won't matter by the next time there's such a tour planned.

I agree with the Sith Effs on this one, and furthermore I think it's outrageous that Old Trafford never gets to host the FA Cup Final, of that the US Masters never comes to Albert Park Public.

'Admin pumps ego and chases headlines by kicking opposition's sacred cow'. Hoodathunkit!

The boxing day test is hardly a long standing Australian cricketing tradition.

I'd say 28 years is long standing

how will SA know the response to a boxing day test held in say Cape Town unless they host it first.

Even within the ruling clique at ICC, there are so many differences ...

point really is that if your home season clashes with the home season of other countries in an increasingly jammed international calendar you will have to tour the odd year if you want to be fair. if you want to be greedy or unreasonable, then yeah, you would say no

at some point aus will be made to tour in dec-jan. its a matter of time

the first day of the Boxing Day test alone would have an attendance that dwarfs attendance for five days at other international grounds...

the BD test is a relatively new "tradition"....prior to it becoming the melb test, the dates were used for Heroic virtuous Vix v the supercilious spivs Shield matches...Used to attract monstro sized crowds

England monopolises Test cricket for three months every year, and Trev bitches like a primary school girl who missed out on her lolly allocation about one week.