Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has confirmed a push from the ICC to ensure Test cricket is sustainable for all full member nations, vowing that Australia will remain “good tourists” over the coming years.
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Speaking to reporters at the MCG on Wednesday morning, Hockley declared that players still perceived Test cricket as the pinnacle of the sport and CA would be more proactive in promoting the game’s longest format.
“This last summer here has proven the resilience of Test cricket and how entertaining it is,” Hockley said.
“It requires us all to work together … it requires us to be really good tourists, and we’ve proven that, and we’ll continue to prove that.
“We just need to keep supporting each other.
“It’s incumbent on us to work together to make sure the pinnacle format of the game is going from strength to strength in all countries. That is a real topic of discussion around the ICC table.”
Hockley’s comments come after reports Australia and England are leading a push to establish minimum Test match payments for men’s cricketers, bringing all players to a similar level. As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the move is part of a broader initiative from the ICC to protect the primacy of Test cricket.
Currently, it is more lucrative for cricketers from the West Indies and South Africa to ply their trade in domestic T20 leagues than represent their country at Test level.
Earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a new incentive scheme that encouraged players to prioritise first-class cricket, paying significant bonuses to regular Test players.
“This scheme is not only designed to encourage players to engage in the purest format of the sport, but also addresses the evolving dynamics of the cricketing landscape, ensuring parity with match fees in other formats and league cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“This initiative aligns with our vision of promoting Test cricket as the pinnacle of the sport.”
Meanwhile, Ireland’s first-ever bilateral series against Australia looks set to be postponed due to budgetary constraints. The four-match series, scheduled to take place in August and September, will not go ahead as planned because Cricket Ireland is facing significant costs to host matches.
“What we had in the FTP as a whole … it’s a real challenge to deliver all of it. We’ve got almost too much cricket for the amount of venues that we’ve got,” Cricket Ireland high performance director Richard Holdsworth told ESPNcricinfo earlier in the month
“Costs of putting on games in Ireland have gone up considerably since Covid. Hotel prices, putting up temporary infrastructure for grounds have gone up astronomically.”
FULL SCHEDULE FOR 2024/25 SUMMER OF CRICKET
Women’s T20I Series v New Zealand
19 September: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
22 September: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
24 September: Allan Border Field, Brisbane
Women’s ODI Series v India
5 December: Allan Border Field, Brisbane
8 December: Allan Border Field, Brisbane
11 December: WACA Ground, Perth
Women’s Ashes ODI Series
12 January: North Sydney Oval, Sydney
14 January: Junction Oval, Melbourne
17 January: Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Women’s Ashes T20I Series
20 January: SCG, Sydney
23 January: Manuka Oval, Canberra
25 January: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Women’s Ashes Test Match
30 January-2 February: MCG, Melbourne (D/N)
Men’s ODI Series v Pakistan
4 November: MCG, Melbourne
8 November: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
10 November: Perth Stadium, Perth
Men’s T20I Series v Pakistan
14 November: The Gabba, Brisbane
16 November: SCG, Sydney
18 November: Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Men’s Test Series v India
22-26 November: Perth Stadium, Perth
6-10 December: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
14-18 December: The Gabba, Brisbane
26-30 December: MCG, Melbourne
3-7 January: SCG, Sydney
14 November: The Gabba, Brisbane
16 November: SCG, Sydney
18 November: Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Men’s Test Series v India
22-26 November: Perth Stadium, Perth
6-10 December: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
14-18 December: The Gabba, Brisbane
26-30 December: MCG, Melbourne
3-7 January: SCG, Sydney
