Test cricket endures
If any form of the game is in trouble it is the newest
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
If any form of the game is in trouble it is the newest. T20 has no roots and so is vulnerable to unfavourable winds. Nor is it as successful as it appears. Did ICL make money for anyone except players, coaches and gamblers? Has IPL opened its books to scrutiny? How many spectators pay for their tickets? How much money has been made by the television companies? Until reliable figures are provided observers are entitled to speculate, writes Peter Roebuck in the Hindu.
International T20 crowds have fallen in all Australian markets. Gabba crowds have decreased from 38,894 in 2005-06 to 27,457 last summer. MCG crowds have slipped from 84,041 in 2007-08 to 61,255 last summer, while the SCG attendances went from 35,628 in 2006-07 to 22,101 last season.
Attendances at domestic T20 matches have likewise gone down from 12,804 in 2006-07 to 10,394 last year. Rest assured that Cricket Australia spent the bulk of its advertising budget on these capers. Numerous free tickets have been dished out. Anything to put bums on seats. Perhaps the novelty has worn off.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo