Thread by @KShriniwasRao

#Thread
Bellerive Oval in Hobart won the tender to host the 5th Ashes Test – day & night affair. Hobart last hosted a Test in 2016 when Australia lost to South Africa by innings & 80-odd runs. There’s an extremely interesting element in this development. Let me explain. (1/25)

In between resistance from Western Australia to host the Test at Perth – a traditional venue, and the luring idea of allotting a ‘2nd Test’ to either MCG or SCG, the colosseums that guarantee revenues, Cricket Australia floated a tender for interested states to bid. (2/25)

Tasmanian Cricket had been at loggerheads with CA recently over the sacking Tim Paine – a Tasmanian himself. There had been much furore because Tasmanian cricket fraternity insisted Paine was cleared of wrongdoing in 2018. They invoked Bill Lawry from over 50 yrs ago. (3/25)

To be fair to this Tasmanian argument, CA had cleared Paine in 2018 and reports that CA used him as a scapegoat have potential for a serious argument. But that’s not our story. Our story is Hoboart getting this fifth Test via a very successful bid. (4/25)

CA had to decide – whether to hand the Test to 20,000 capacity Hobart or stick to MCG (100,000 capacity) or SCG (50k). Bidding war took place. Every Australian state lobbied for the Test. Seething with anger, probably also to prove they belong, Tasmania put in a bid too. (5/25)

Media argued their respective cities’ cases. It looked like Hobart stood no chance. There are media reports that there was potentially a gap of Aus $17million in MCG hosting the Test and Hobart hosting it. That is how dwarfed the Hobart bid began to seem. (6/25)

And right then, the Tasmanian government intervened. MCG (Victoria) couldn’t cross a line because the dates eventually clash with the Australian Open. There won’t be a rush of crowds. Hobart won – and in Australia its being seen right now as some fairytale result. (7/25)

Why is this story relevant from India perspective? I don’t know if it interests you’ll but how abt this example: Bombay Municipal Corporation tying up with the Mumbai Cricket Assn, to argue Wankhede’s case to host a Test and submitting a bid to deny Chennai hosting rights. (8/25)

Imagine this: There’s a 5th India vs Eng Test waiting to happen & Tamil Nadu govt puts all its might behind Chepauk, says it’ll do everything to make the Test a grand occasion. Karnataka does the same at Chinnaswamy. Bengal says, Kolkata it can deliver ‘x’ revenue to BCCI. (9/25)

Suddenly Mumbai, BMC & MCA have competition. BCCI says, okay, let’s tender this Test match and whoever submits a better presentation and financial bid can host it. One association, let’s say, submits that it has a newly laid out and tested pitch and a brand new outfield. (10/25)

Chennai’s bid includes, for instance, free refreshments at Tea on all five days of a Test. Bangalore offers something different. It’s all about how they present their cases. Imagine a game in Indore where the Sarafa comes alive once every year! (11/25)

Suddenly, a Nagpur or Rajkot jumps into the race and says, the dates clash with a local city festival and that’s why they want to participate. The state association brings a sponsor, and they submit a presentation. Isn’t the idea wonderful? (12/25)

Frankly, random Test matches being distributed in India based on some archaic rotation policy of the BCCI just doesn’t make sense anymore. Look at Pune, for instance. Good infrastructure probably but just not feasible for city-based fans to go and watch a game. (13/25)

But what if Maharashtra submits a bid & its presentation says, the local association takes the responsibility of coordinating with city and highway traffic to make travel easier and will sponsor space for parking of 25,000 cars? Won’t that boost the spectator’s interest? (14/25)

The other day, a good friend pointed out on Twitter how Test matches at certain venues have history attached to it and therefore also have a certain charm. But it’s understandable that in a country like India, BCCI has to keep all stakeholders in the loop and entertained. (15/25)

So, why not have a bidding system and allow venues that make the best presentations host the Tests? Random distribution of matches, for lure of revenue from BCCI, was an idea put in place two generations ago to promote infrastructure development. (16/25)

Personally, I’ve always felt Test matches cannot be distributed like chocolates to a classroom full of kids. For that, there are ODIs & T20Is. Tests need to be played at centres of historical relevance, venues that visiting teams must identify with, as much as home teams. (17/25)

Indian cricket has come a long way since. Massive amounts of money has been pumped into infrastructures that are so meaningless in many ways. Don’t want to take names but crores have been spent on grounds that host probably one international game in 3 to 5 years. (18/25)

What’s the point? Instead, why not have an Olympic culture where a venue wanting to host a game must submit why it is capable of hosting that game and what value it promises to add. Let there be an independent committee to decide if they’re worth their bid. (19/25)

Historical Test centres such as Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay), Bengaluru (Bangalore), Kolkata (Calcutta), Ahmedabad, Delhi can be accommodated via a separate filter and kept aside only for big Tests and marquee white-ball games such as a World Cup final. (20/25)

Firstly, the BCCI has already faltered by not having a specified, fan-relevant home season. Under N Srinivasan’s regime, a thought process was being considered. Between Dussera to Lodi, India will play at home. That idea never went ahead. (21/25)

At least, Indian cricket board should consider the idea of India playing at home every Diwali season. A Dussera Test in Kolkata to coincide with the Pujo. A Diwali Test in Mumbai. A Pongal Test in Chennai. If planned properly, these factors can be certainly considered. (22/25)

BCCI certainly needs to up its on-field spectator interest and those days will soon be gone where crowds are going to just flock to grounds to see stars in action. IPL and enhanced TV experience at home has already eaten into it. Look at how Australia marketed Boxing Day. (23/25)

An on-ground match experience must be enhanced – and how one does it? Let those ideas flow from state associations and city-municipal corporations / state governments by way of the presentations they submit and what they promise to deliver, to get a game. (24/25)

Look at England – the five Test matches they host at home every summer have a distinct sense of history, privilege, charm and atmosphere attached to it. Same is the case with Australia too. High time BCCI begins building opportunities of similar relevance. (25/25)