Boisterous MCG crowd proves one-day cricket is alive and well - but it has less to do with Aussie team than tourists

Another meaningless ODI? Not to the 15,000 plus Pakistan fans who packed the MCG on Monday night. DANIEL CHERNY unpacks how South Asian diasporas will keep one-day cricket alive.

One-day international cricket can still have a bright future in Australia. But here’s the thing, the involvement of the Australian team is not the most important part.

Of the 25,831 at the MCG on Melbourne Cup eve, conservatively two-thirds appeared to be actively supporting the tourists.

This isn’t a new phenomenon. The same sorts of scenes have played out when Sri Lanka and India have visited for the types of series fobbed off by purists as “meaningless one-day cricket.”

And for those cricket enthusiasts who might have quipped in recent days that they didn’t even know this match was being played, Pakistan fans clearly got the memo.

A certain Australian palate may have long ago tired of the format outside World Cups but try telling the hordes in dark green that filled the bottom level of the Olympic and Shane Warne Stands that this match didn’t matter.

Pakistan's Irfan Khan attempts to take a catch in front of the crowd at the MCG. Picture: William West / AFP.

The eruption of the crowd when Haris Rauf drew a feather to remove Glenn Maxwell would compare favourably to most roars during at the ‘G during the footy season.

The Twenty20 World Cup on these shores two years ago laid bare that the passion for short-form international cricket held by swathes of the various South Asian diasporas, a commitment that in sheer foot traffic exceeded the Australian public’s enthusiasm for its own side that tournament.

Virat Kohli’s masterpiece in front of more than 90,000 is the night that will linger longest but the Pakistanis showed on several occasions through that event that they don’t need India to get bums on seats.

The Marylebone Cricket Club’s World Cricket Committee last year recommended that men’s ODIs be eradicated from the calendar outside of the 12-month period leading into 50-over World Cups.

The ICC has given no sign it is going to take heed of that plan. And while the global player union’s review into the game’s calendar and ecosystem is happening behind the scenes, there is no guarantee of meaningful change to follow.

Cricket Australia has rightly sought to clear out January for the Big Bash League, meaning men’s ODIs at the height of summer are unlikely to be much of a thing moving forward.

The upshot then is that these matches will likely continue to be played for the foreseeable future, shunted into relatively unfashionable early-season windows.

Pakistan fans were out in force at the MCG on Monday. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

The old one-day tri-series hasn’t been played regularly for more than 16 years, making the odd comeback a couple of times since when India has been in town.

One of the key reasons why the tournament format established during World Series Cricket faded away is that the matches between the two touring teams struggled to generate crowds or television ratings.

It is ironic then that the appetite - certainly when it comes to tickets - for any India-Pakistan matches would likely dwarf that for any of the matches involving the hosts.

It is a colossal shame that despite CA’s efforts and overlapping tour dates, the BCCI and PCB could not be coaxed into convening for a triangular contest this time around. The buzz ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is building but would’ve got a very nice kick along had India and Pakistan been due to square off at some stage.

CA should not give up on the idea, because Monday night showed the format still has cache if the draw cards are there.