Cricket Australia faces huge losses this year

[Beny]

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/C...26DEC2004.html

Cricket Australia is facing up to a projected loss of more than $14m in the current financial year, with contests against New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies expected to be damp squibs. Australia's Sunday Telegraph newspaper, which had access to CA's report for 2003-04, has said that the organisation expects to post a loss of $14.2m, as compared to a healthy surplus of $4.5m last year when India were the visitors.

[BlueyM]

Perhaps if some of the upper echelon of Cricket Australia trimmed back their constant world tours, the President's Room luncheons, the fleet of cars, the prestigious location of their headquarters, the unnecessary office staff and so on, and concentrated on what they are supposed to do, i.e. encourage and promote Australian cricket AT ALL LEVELS, they might see the light and realise that the CA board is not appointed royalty, but employees paid to do a job.

The overpriced entry fees to grounds has just about put paid to the average family's ability to enjoy a day at the cricket.
These people need to realise that they exclude the average spectator at their peril.
There is more to the game than TV revenue and lavish sponsor's boxes, and by pricing the families and youngsters out of the grounds, the very future of the game is put at risk by these "elite" functionaries and their spendthrift habits.

A few serious losses may bring some perspective back to the board members.

[vvvrulz]

Good point back there.

Its the lack of quality opposition that does it in my opinion. Who really wants to see the Aussies belt everyone endlessly, its going to have effects worldwide.

[flanflinger]

It's all about price points. I have just paid a phenomnal amount for one day of next years Ashes test. I am happy to pay it as it the Australians. But if that price was the same for Bangladesh, Zimbabwe or the current West Indies, I would not be forking out.

However, in whatever country you are, money drives the sport. It starts at the top the ICC are more intrested in the fincial rewards that their future tours programme brings them, while in the meantime they are diluting the quailty of Cricket on show. There are just two days between the second and third tests in South Africa. Pollock, Ntini etc have spent two days in the field. How effective are they going to be, having had no rest between Test matches and a long flight.

The ECB have done the same in the UK, they have over-committed themselves financially, and now Terrestrial TV cannot afford to pay for the rites. Short term it could be good - but I wonder about the long term effects of the lack of TV exposure will have on future generations.

[Mr Kiwi]

i'm not going to defend the NZ teams test performances in AUS - which were crap - but i managed to get to the first day of hte brisbane test. i can't remember how much the ticket cost me, but i do recall being amazed at the number of people there. 'only' 19,000 or so (the gabba was far from full) but that's more than would turn up to all five days in NZ, in fact you'd be lucky to get that many at an ODI

hence why the NZCC sold out many years ago to Sky TV. now domestic four day games are free entry (still - no-one goes) one day domestic has a nominal $10 door charge (half for kids).

i think it's fairly safe to say the game hasn't suffered (NZ were pretty crap in the mid 90's when the sell off happened and are arguably still rather crap now - at least in the longer game).

[Seamer]

The best scenario is to play England & India alternately every second season. That will mean that there will be a bumper season every second year that will bankroll the other two "loss" seasons. Play the lesser nations in the winter season. It will be better for the Australian public that has a thirst for decent quality cricket

[Shaka]

I'm not sure how much quality cricket has to do with it. As a Pakistan fan I don't recall full stadiums when we used to bring better sides here but there were probably great crowds when England turned up due to the Ashes rivalry. Having said that, even our better sides haven't done that well in Australia so maybe it was understandable.