SA Cricket Association chief executive Keith Bradshaw says Adelaide Oval not hosting India next summer is ‘unthinkable’
SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw was happy with the rain-affected crowds against Pakistan. Now he is focusing his attention on securing India, instead of Afghanistan, next summer.
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SA Cricket Association chief executive Keith Bradshaw says hosting India at Adelaide Oval in 2020/21 is not a lock but it is unthinkable the ground may be overlooked for the series.
India will tour Australia next summer but one of Adelaide, Brisbane or Perth will miss out and Cricket Australia will instead hand that city minnows Afghanistan instead.
Bradshaw said Adelaide was the second-highest attended Test match in the country and deserved to get the chance to welcome Virat Kohli’s side.
He expected Cricket Australia to make a decision on the schedule early next year.
“I’d love to say it’s a lock but it’s not,” Bradshaw said on SEN on Tuesday morning.
“The Melbourne and Sydney Tests are locked in so there’s two Test matches (against India) between Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, and I can tell you there’s some pretty robust discussions happening between those two other venues, ourselves and Cricket Australia.
“It would just be unthinkable that we wouldn’t have India here next year.
“I’m certainly not one that’s going to be saying we’re going to have Afghanistan next year – and that’s with respect to Afghanistan.
“I feel very confident going through an open, transparent process that we’d tick all the boxes and come out in front.
“The discussions we’ve had so far have been very productive and fruitful.
“I know I’m biased but Adelaide Oval is the best cricket ground in the world, there’s no doubt about that.”
Bradshaw was pleased with the crowds for this past week’s second Test against Pakistan, which attracted about 91,000 people from Friday to Monday as Australia won by an innings and 48 runs.
But he believed quite a few more spectators would have came if not for poor weather.
“On Friday night the rain hit us just as people were knocking off work and our experience in prior years around 5pm or 6pm, we’d get an extra 5000 or 6000 people down,” he said.
“We only had 17,000 on Sunday but had it not been for the weather, we’d have been up around the 35,000 or 40,000 mark.
“The South Australian people are fantastic and got right behind us and 91,000 people in those weather conditions, we’re happy with that.”
Bradshaw also did not mind that Adelaide was given Pakistan, which lost both Tests in the series by an innings, rather than New Zealand.
“We haven’t had Pakistan for 30 years so to have Pakistan in a day/night Test was a good match to have,” he said.
“Pakistan when they turn up can be the best team in the world.”
The Pakistan match was the fourth day/night Test Adelaide had hosted.
Bradshaw believed the concept had proven itself and ensured a good contest.
“The twilight period where the ball seams around a little bit more and decks around off the pitch gives a little bit extra to the game,” he said.
“It certainly has a future although I don’t want to see every Test as day/night, of course.
“But it’s certainly a great format and right now we focus on next year and making sure we have India as our Test match.”