Tasmania ‘treated as second-class citizen’: state fumes over international cricket schedule

New Cricket Australia schedule overlooks Tasmania, meaning Tim Paine will be the first captain in 140 years to not lead his side in his home state.

Captain Tim Paine and assistant coach Ricky Ponting won’t be heading back to Tasmania for a Test match this season. Picture: Getty Images

Tasmania, cricket’s forgotten island, is furious over the allocation of international matches this summer.

The local board says it is being treated as a “second class citizen”, with scheduling to make Tim Paine the first captain in 140 years never to lead his side in a game in his home state.

The association said it was particularly galling to be rejected when it had sided with head office in a difficult period, with Cricket Australia in conflict with a number of states over cuts to this year’s grants.

Australian batsman and Tasmanian product Matthew Wade. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Home of Tim Paine and Matthew Wade, birthplace of Ricky Ponting and the apple of David Boon’s eye, the state was dismayed to find that it would not be hosting a Test match this summer ... but should not have been surprised.

Bellerive Oval has not seen an international five-day game since the infamous 2016 match against South Africa in which Australia was whipped and Faf du Plessis whipped up a controversy by tampering with the ball.

Last summer the island even missed out on its only men’s ODI when the New Zealand side headed home as the pandemic took its grip. This summer, it gets a women’s ODI against India and a repeat of last year’s match.

Tasmanian Cricket chair Andrew Gaggin sent an incendiary letter to members at lunchtime Wednesday. While acknowledging the schedule was “evolving” and their excitement at hosting the two games, the cricket boss did not hold back in his views.

Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, now known as Blundstone Arena. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“Cricket Australia seems to be struck in a 1990s time warp whereby it automatically directs that Tasmania misses out in any five Test summer,” Gaggin wrote. “The Crawford Carter reforms of 2011 were supposed to put an end to this, but the message has obviously not reached the Cricket Australia Board or Management and Tasmania continues to be treated as a second-class citizen.”

The Crawford Carter review removed a gerrymander situation on the CA Board which favoured the big states and instituted equal representation.

Western Australian officials also slammed head office for allocating the Indian Tests to the other mainland states while it hosted a Test against Afghanistan. There is conflict over whether it will be held at the WACA or Optus stadium, but Tasmania has responded assuming it is the former venue which now seems less likely.

Australian Test captain Tim Paine trains at Blundstone Arena in January. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“It is particularly disappointing that the Test Match against Afghanistan is likely to be scheduled at the WACA Ground, which in all respects is a far inferior venue to Blundstone Arena in Hobart,” Gaggin wrote.

“There is no coherent reason why Hobart should not be scheduled Test Matches in preference tot he “traditional” mainland venues, especially when they involve lower drawing nations.

“Tasmanian cricket fans will find it particularly galling that Tim Paine has been instrumental in rescuing Australian cricket from the dark days of 2018, yet the decision to overlook Hobart may mean that he will end his career as the only Australian Captain in almost 140 years not to play a Test Match on his home ground.

“Tim had his say on this — clearly he would love to captain a Test in Hobart and he should be afforded the opportunity to do that.

“The impact on the game and junior development in Tasmania cannot be estimated. Tasmanian kids have grown up watching the likes of Boon and Ponting wearing the baggy green in Hobart, we need to ensure this is not a thing of the past.”

The last line of Gaggin’s letter to members contains a clear message to the board and management in Melbourne which is in conflict with its members: “All at a time when Cricket Tasmania has supported Cricket Australia through a very difficult period.”