Aussie fans are a credit to their nation

[Shaka]

I must admit I expected the Aussies to turn out in small numbers for the test series against Pakistan. But there were good crowds every day, which kind of put Pakistan's abysmal turn-outs for the 5 day game at home to shame. even against India, Pakistani crowds failed to turn up in the test matches despite it being a huge match after a long absence.

It's great to see the game being supported so well in both England and Australia for test matches. It used to rile me that Pakistan only got to play mini-test match series abroad but it's clear that it's all we deserve, as our own supporters don't have any appetite for it.

Anyway, good to see that the Aussies will support cricket in every form (and England too considering football is the main sport of the nation!)

[Seamer]

Aussie cricket fans love Pakistan! They are exciting to watch, bowl aggressively, bat aggressively and play attacking cricket - the way cricket should be played. Despite the recent lopsided test series, Pakistan certainly had Australia on the run at certain times and the Aussie fans appreciated it. Pakistan have always had characters as well such as Wasim, Inzy, Shoaib and more recently Kaneria which add interest to the game. I always look forward to a Pakistan tour and can,t wait for the one day series to begin.

[Zainub]

That's nice to know Seamer.

I would like to point out that there were record crowds in for both the Pakistan and New Zealand series, and I hope Mark Nicholas has taken note of that as well. Australian crowds are still eager to watch test cricket, the rest of the world not being as good as them, has apparently not initiated any loss of interest in the game.

Test cricket following around the world has been fantastic in recent times, baring Pakistan, we see good crowds turning up at all other venues, in the Carribean, in South Africa, in New Zealand, in India, in Sri Lanka, even in Bangladesh. It is just down right shameful that in Pakistan we don't get enough crowds - I don't think the game is properly advertised here - there is a lot of interest in how we perform (if you see the editorials they are are full of people writing in to tell how dissapointing our performances have been and how angry some people are about that) but there just seems to be a total lack of interest in actually going out there to see the proceedings - may be that's got to do with how the instadia services are in some of our grounds - I've been to the NSK and believe me the lavotries there were totally unuseable. There have been improvements made in recent times but I still don't think we are at par with the world standards. Something must be done though. Pakistan performing well in test cricket should help increase attendences as well. And inversely crowds turning up to support Pakistan in tests will also help team morale.

[Seamer]

Success breeds success. Pakistan have a very talented group of young players and we will see them rise in the rankings in the future(i think they are 4th at the moment-which is very good considering their youth). Once they start enjoying sustained success, which i have no doubt they will, the Pakistani crowds will return.They certainly play an attractive brand of test cricket.

[Zainub]

I'll be patient. And I'm glad you appreciate the way we play, mind you, sometimes it does back fire, some people in Pakistan think we play too extravagently, (they tend to opine we play even test like they were ODIs, poor shot selection and all)...but in any case, I certainly hope you are right.

[Paoli]

We're no Barmy Army. Yeah it is good that the Aussies turn out in drobes, but the Barmy Army rocks up whether England are down 4-0 in a 5 test series or up 2-1 in a 5 test series.

Being at the Boxing Day Test of 2002, I will never forget how a section Barmy Army made absolute fools out of 10 or 12 Aussies chanting "We won the Ashes".

I noticed on another thread a quite well known poster criticised the Barmy Army for cheering balls that could end up in wickets against their batsmen.

I say leave the Army alone. They are great, and any run is vital. The Barmy Army IMHO is one of the great things that could happen to cricket---I couldn't imagine a down under Ashes or Basil D'Oliveira trophy without them.

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

We're no Barmy Army. Yeah it is good that the Aussies turn out in drobes, but the Barmy Army rocks up whether England are down 4-0 in a 5 test series or up 2-1 in a 5 test series.

They certainly never say "die"! I was at Perth on the day when the Aussies retained The Ashes in 2002, thumping England out of sight by an innings and 48 runs well within three days to go 3-0 up in the series. With two games left, the Barmy Army sang their hearts out "We're gonna win 4-3". Completely innumerate, mostly drunk, utterly harmless (something which the humourless WA Police would have done well to note as their colleagues in Queensland and South Australia had done). I don't count myself among the Army's ranks, but I do think they are more good than bad for English cricket, and they have certainly seemed to get a welcome in Australia, South Africa and the Windies when I have had the good fortune to follow England to those places.

[Shaka]

England get great support at home as well as away. Test matches against half decent opposition are usually extremely well attended, if not sold out. I did a thread a while back about the lack of support for test matches in Pakistan as compared to the ODI's, but I don't really accept that the facilities can be solely to blame. It's noticeable that in far flung areas like Peshawar which borders Afghanistan, the crowds are much more healthy and very enthusiastic. The attendances for a minor series against Bangladesh put the so-called metropolises Karachi and Lahore to shame.

I'll be watching with interest to see what the crowds are like in India when Pakistan go there. Of course the ODI's will be sold out just like they are in Pakistan, it's the 5 day game which will be under scrutiny. Somehow I expect there'll be very decent turn-outs though.

[Zainub]

Living here, I can tell what the biggest problem fans my age will face when they want to go and see a cricket match.

The first thing will be to try and convince your parents/guardians that is going to be safe - and that usually takes an age. So if have a game to attend next week you better start your start polishing your persuation skills from right now. Other wise, hand down you don't have a chance.

Second of all, if they don't quite think it is safe enough but you some how still manage to convince them that you're old enough and mature enough to handle this (For godness sakes it's only a game I'm going to go and watch), they'll ask you to buy the tickers your self from your pocket money....and often that mean you'll be completely bank rupted.

The cheaper tickets are affordable but the enviroment in those stands probably isn't the one you wanna a test match in, so you always have to go for the expensive ones. Third of all, because your parents are on the offensive from the start they will insist you arrange everything including transport too your self...

To sum it up, if you're a teenager, and a cricket fan who likes to and carves to go and see cricket match live - life is not easy

[Paoli]

I remember at the Boxing Day Test of 2002 after Australia had amassed about 650 the Barmy Army cheered, "We're gonna win by an innings", followed by the negro spiritual "Kum Ba Yam" reword "Michael Vaughan". I'd love a Barmy Army songbook. What a great night of karaoke!!

Gee, Zainub, life is tough getting to a cricket game in Pakistan as a teenager. Id imagine youd come from a non cricketing background (like many sub contintental asians), and knowing quite a few Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans, the parents are'nt keen on sport, rather wanting their children to become doctors or professors.

Anyway, Zainub, I'm sure you'd like to see Australia come back to Pakistan.....And Oh How i'd like to see a repeat of Nas hitting those winning runs when England played Pakistan in virtual pitch black conditions.