Devil’s bargain behind record low ODI Australian cricket crowds

An inconsequential one-day series between Australia and England, watched by meagre crowds in an off-peak November timeslot, has provided a chilling preview of the international cricket landscape over the next four years.

That’s because the future tours program for 2023-2027, announced in August, was the result of a devil’s bargain reluctantly struck between the International Cricket Council and the boards of the game’s richest member nations, including Australia, England and India.

A record-low crowd of 10,406 watched Australia complete a 3-0 whitewash against England with a thumping 221-run win at the MCG on Tuesday night. The previous lowest mark for a men’s one-day international featuring Australia at the MCG came in 1979 during the World Series era when 12,077 saw the hosts take on England.

A lone spectator at the MCG. Credit:AP

It was a freezing night in Melbourne and a poor look for cricket, following crowds of 16,993 and 15,428 in Sydney and Adelaide, respectively. But there is much more limited-overs cricket without context to come.

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