Tasmania, Western Australia in line to host Tests later this year
With Tim Paine in danger of becoming the first Aussie skipper in more than 130 years to finish his career without a home state Test, Tasmania are doing everything they can to attract Cricket Australia’s attention.
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Australian skipper Tim Paine’s dream to play a Test in his home state could come true with the Afghanistan match to be postponed and replaced with an alternate Test series.
News Corp Australia understands the postponement of October’s T20 World Cup later this week will also delay the inaugural Test against Afghanistan, scheduled for Perth in late November.
However, CA has a contract with Perth’s Optus Stadium to provide a Test each summer, and will instead bring an opponent to Western Australia for a two-match series in October, with the second Test possibly to be played at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena — one of many scenarios being canvassed.
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The series would be a lead-in to the clash with India.
The Indian series already has its venues locked in and the visitors are steadfast in only playing a four-match series, leaving Optus Stadium out in the cold.
A formal request from CA has not been made to Cricket Tasmania but News Corp believes there has been an informal query as to whether a Test pitch could be prepared for October to host a Test.
Due to infrastructure issues surrounding the removal of cricket sightscreens – resulting in no football goalposts being erected at the ground — Blundstone Arena has been unable to host football all winter.
The Tigers have already been having centre-wicket practice already, meaning the venue would have no issues in having a Test pitch prepared for October.
CT chairman Andrew Gaggin was critical of CA when the original fixture was announced last month but was hopeful Tasmania could regain its Test status. However, he said there was so much unknown about the international fixture for the upcoming summer.
“We’ll continue to work with CA on how Tasmania can benefit from any potential new content — especially Test matches,” Gaggin said.
“We’re willing and able to have the venue ready for any additional international content.
“I’m committed to Tim Paine captaining the Australian team on Tassie soil, and we’ll be knocking on all doors that might lead us to it.”
Paine has played 31 Tests, including 19 as captain, but is yet to play a Test in his home state.
If he finished his career without a home state Test, he would be the first skipper to do so since Victorian Henry “Tup” Scott more than 130 years ago.
The 35-year-old has spoken previously about his desire to play at his home ground before his Test career is over.
“It’s something you’d like to tick off over your Test career is play a home Test match and be a captain out here would make it even more special,” Paine said last month.
But an October Test series could clash with what is expected to be the rescheduled Indian Premier League, meaning Australia’s star players such as David Warner, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins might be forced to miss the lucrative T20 series.
Hobart has not hosted a Test match since the infamous game against South Africa in November 2016, when Australia was bowled out for 85 in the first innings on way to an innings and 80-run defeat.
Ugly fight averted as players score major victory
Peter Lalor
Aussie cricketers have had a major victory with Cricket Australia withdrawing forecasts that slashed their payment pool by almost 50 per cent.
The stand off between the Australian Cricketers Association and the administration led to the resignation last month of chief executive Kevin Roberts and threatened ugly scenes similar to the 2017 MOU dispute.
The dispute became public when News Corp Australia revealed in mid April the organisation was claiming large losses on the stock market which have since corrected themselves.
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The ACA has withdrawn its dispute notice over the updated forecast of revenue but CA retains the right to adjust the projections down should it encounter difficulties ahead.
This action heads off the two parties taking the matter to court.
The ACA and key states were perplexed by the doomsday scenario advanced by CA as the situation improved from early days and confidence rose about the all-important India Test tour this summer.
The original projections saw revenue cut from over $400m to $240m for the financial year.
The ACA put out the following statement.
“The Australian Cricketers’ Association welcomes a ‘reset’ by Cricket Australia in relation to the disputed June 2020 Australian Cricket Revenue forecast.
“Under this reset, CA has agreed to withdraw its June 2020 notices containing its revised revenue forecast, and in its place, rollover its ‘pre-coronavirus’ April 2019 forecast.
“In turn the ACA has agreed to withdraw its Notice of Dispute relating to the June 2020 forecast.
“Both parties have done so without admission and agree that providing definitive revenue forecasting in these times is difficult.
ACA Chief Executive Alistair Nicholson said: “This ‘reset’ is both welcome and sensible.”
“CA is free to reforecast again at various times over the next financial year, should there be a material revenue event affecting cricket.”
In a statement, Cricket Australia said: “Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association have today agreed a way forward on Australian Cricket’s response to COVID-19.
“The parties have agreed to postpone the Australian Cricket Revenue projection until such time they are better able to assess the financial impact of the pandemic and calculate a clear projection for the year ahead.
“With today’s agreement, the ACA has agreed to withdraw its notice of dispute lodged last month with CA.
“Today’s agreement is a significant step forward in cricket’s response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and should provide our stakeholders with renewed clarity and confidence about the summer ahead.
“Calculating revenue projections 12 months ahead during a once-in-a-century pandemic has not been without its challenges, but we believe we have arrived at a position that provides all parties with greater certainty about how to navigate the next year.
“The ACR will be reassessed in due course, providing time to better assess the financial impact of the pandemic and calculate a clear projection for the year ahead.”