Allan Border calls for ‘tired’ Gabba to make way for new stadium following Test hosting snub

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Former Australia captain Allan Border has called for a ‘tired’ Gabba to make way for the construction of a new cricket stadium following the iconic venue’s snub from hosting Tests, starting from 2026/27 season.

On Sunday, Cricket Australia said the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests would remain at the MCG and SCG respectively until 2030/31. It also said the Gabba is only guaranteed to host Tests for just next two years, citing ‘discussions about future international cricket in Queensland ongoing’.

It means that for the first time since 1976/77, a Test Match will not be held at the Gabba in 2026/27. As of now, the Gabba will host the third India-Australia Test of this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy this December and the second Test of next year’s Ashes, which will be a day-night game.

“(The Gabba) is a great Test match pitch but the actual stadium is getting a bit tired. It’s now ranked No.5 or six in the country behind others that have been rebuilt in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth — and the one in Adelaide is fantastic with the hotel right on the ground as well.”

“So the ranking is slipping. It’s a great pitch to play on but the ground is hard to get to and then when the crowd leaves a big game, with 40-50,000 people there, it’s a nightmare to get out of the place. For all those reasons, we need to knock it down and do something else,” said Border on Nine’s Today show.

The development comes after the Queensland government abandoned a 2.7 billion dollars plan to demolish and rebuild the Gabba for the 2032 Olympic Games. Instead, it has invested that amount in upgrading the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC), Suncorp Stadium, and the Gabba.

Moreover, after an independent review, a 3.4 billion dollars proposal to construct a new oval stadium at Victoria Park for the 2032 Olympics was also rejected by the Queensland government. At CA’s Play Cricket Week launch, Australia captain Pat Cummins had his say on the Gabba going down the pecking order in hosting Tests.

“We love playing at the Gabba. We’ve lost a couple of times there in last few years, but overall our record is great there. The Queensland crowds are also good, it’s always nice weather, so we really like playing up there. We’ll wait and see what happens. At least the next two years are still locked away the Gabba, so we’ll work it out after that,” he said.

–IANS

nr/