Australian Prime Minister backs Hobart for the fifth Test
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has thrown his support behind Hobart as his ideal venue for the fifth Ashes Test.
Speaking to the media on Day one of the series, Morrison said it would be great to see Tasmania share in the Ashes.
"I think it'd be great to see Tasmania share in this Ashes series. The reasons for it not going to Perth are well understood. And I'm looking forward to the Sydney Test, I'm looking forward to the Adelaide Test, I'm looking forward, of course, to the Brisbane Test and the Melbourne Test," he said.
Hobart's Bellerive Oval was due to host a one-off Test in November against Afghanistan, but that has since been canceled. Hobart has not hosted a Test match since Australia's crushing defeat to South Africa in 2016.
The venue for the fifth Test is yet to be decided after Perth were officially stripped of the fixture last Monday. That has left the venue to go out to tender as each state's government and cricket association make their bid to host - a Test in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Hobart are all on the cards.
🏏🏟️ Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he's firmly "in the Tassie camp" for a bid to host the fifth Ashes Test, after Cricket Australia controversially put the venue out to tender. ⚱️🇦🇺🏴
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Most states will be vying for hosting rights, but Tasmania remains one of the front-runners to stage the match in Hobart, despite potentially being in the weakest position to produce an asking price of $5 million for Cricket Australia (CA).
CA stipulated a range of criteria to be met by the states, of which the ability to host a day-night match was judged the most critical among other considerations including:
- Capacity to deliver the event within existing COVID-19 protocols for the relevant state or territory
- Ability to accommodate all operational match requirements, which includes broadcast needs and additional measures such as DRS as mandated by the International Cricket Council
- Commercial considerations, such as projected forecasts on ticket sales
- Logistical issues, including capacity to provide adequate hotel accommodation for players and their families, match officials, match staff and broadcast crews for duration of the Test and its preamble
A second day-night Test at the MCG would seemingly be the most lucrative solution for CA to fulfill their commercial criteria. They are reported to be expecting up to $22 million in revenue from a Melbourne fixture.
Hobart's Bellerive Oval has hosted numerous white-ball affairs both domestically and internationally under lights and would seemingly fit the bit for the floodlight requirements too.
Victoria have thrown their hat into the ring to host the fifth Ashes Test at the MCG if it can't go ahead in Perth. https://t.co/inmtcP6BPt
A day-night fixture on the eastern seaboard would counterweight losing the Perth match in a conciliatory move that maintains broadcasters' interests.
It is also the preferred option for the English team, who would have to agree to the proposal as part of the conditions of a bilateral Test tour.
Hobart's bid is about more than money
The overwhelming support behind Tasmania's brave bid to take on NSW and Victoria reflects the sport's warm interest in sharing the series equitably across its six state members.
@danbrettig Why not pay all 5 at the MCG then if it’s only money that matters?!
Tasmania has continually been a part of Australian cricket in a national and professional sense, housing a domestic team in all formats, as well as Hobart hosting 13 Test matches in its short history.
Prime Minister Morrison also made it known he was supporting that viewpoint too, placing himself in "Hobart's camp".
"I know they’ll (Tasmania) put on a great show. It's a matter for Cricket Australia, but a prime minister’s allowed to have an opinion. And for there to be one in Tassie, I think would be great, particularly as the Afghanistan Test obviously didn't proceed for clear reasons," he said.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has also reminded his bosses that the bid for the fifth Test needed to go beyond an interest in money. While he did not offer his opinion on where the match should be played, he said that the likelihood of a day-night Test meant that the pitch should be the most important consideration, rather than any commercial interest.
Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein has voiced his support for a fifth Ashes Test as far back as early November and urged CA to think beyond their bottom line when considering Hobart as the venue.
"Don't double up, don't give Melbourne or Sydney a second Test... make history in Tasmania and play it in Hobart. We'll be putting forward a proposal to Cricket Australia in the next 24 hours. I've spoken to [Cricket Australia CEO] Nick Hockley yesterday, and I'll be speaking to him again today. We're going to put forward our best foot on this. My message is, don't be seduced by the bigger states. This is more than the bottom line, this is your chance to make history," he said speaking to the media on Tuesday.
However, the Tasmanian government is prepared to "close, or even surpass, a gap in commercial returns between hosting the game in Hobart and Melbourne," according to the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.