Why Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test is in limbo after Cricket Australia opened the door to moving the famous match to a new venue
- Other states keen to hold Boxing Day cricket test
- Held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1980
- Sydney could also lose New Year’s Test at SCG
The future of Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test is in limbo due to an ongoing standoff between Cricket Australia and the Victorian government.
The development comes as Victoria remains the only state government not to agree a six-year deal with cricket’s governing body, which is expected to begin for the 2025-26 season, during the next tour of England in Australia in the Ashes.
A minister privately accused Cricket Australia of using the delay as deliberate “leverage” during the lengthy negotiations, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
It was previously reported that Cricket Australia was refusing to lock Melbourne and Sydney into their historic place as host venues for Test matches beyond this season, saying there is a “good avenue to consider our future content”.
Other states, such as Western Australia and South Australia, have made waves each year regarding the possible poaching of both the MCG’s Boxing Day Test and the SCG’s New Year’s Test, stating that no one should have control over blockbusters.
Melbourne, host of future Boxing Day Tests, is in limbo due to an ongoing standoff between Cricket Australia and the Victorian government (pictured, Australian captain Pat Cummins after taking a wicket against Africa South during the 2022 Boxing Day match)
The Boxing Day Test has been held at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1980 (pictured, the huge crowd at the 2017 Test)
While CA’s head of programming Peter Roach said they place “a lot of importance on historic matches”, the quest to maximize crowds and revenue will play a key role in the final outcome.
“We believe historic matches carry great weight because they determine continued attendance and continued support, but we have not locked down any venues for years to come,” Roach told reporters.
“We look at the situation historically, one year at a time. We now have a path that allows us to envisage the best result for the next seven or eight years for all our sites.
“We can work with our venues, governments and state associations to plan thoroughly in advance.
“We’re seeing it because there’s a huge amount of competition for our, I guess, branded content, which is great.
“We know that year after year we have great content to offer in the United States.”
The Victorian government is also facing a debt crisis, with net debt expected to reach $187.8 billion by June 2028.
A MCG redevelopment project is also planned in at least four years.
