Ticket prices slashed, night-time cricket with pink balls and desperate appeals for livelier wickets, the battle continues to preserve the integrity of Test matches.
When Pakistan and England opened their Test series in Abu Dhabi last week, only 54 people watched the first day at the 20,000-capacity Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
The stadium’s operations manager Shahnawaz Hakim said that crowds have always been bigger for one-day internationals than for five-day Tests.
Photo: AFP
“We put prices on tickets in anticipation that people would come, but there were insignificant numbers on the first two days,” Hakim told reporters.
Prices ranged from US$5 to US$28.
“We expect more people in the one-day internationals — in fact, it’s always a full house on Friday in limited-overs matches,” Hakim said.
There are four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals to follow the three-match Test series.
England’s enthusiastic supporters group, the touring “Barmy Army,” outnumbered local fans, mainly expats from India and Pakistan whose time to watch cricket is severely limited by work duties.
David Miller, a fan from Sheffield in northern England, described the numbers as disappointing.
“We thought that it would be a good competition in the stands, but there were very few people to counter our songs and chants,” Miller said.
The number of spectators rose to about 5,500 on Thursday last week — a holiday due to the first day of the Islamic calendar — and on Friday, the traditional weekly rest day in the Gulf.
However, attendance was down to 2,500 on Saturday as the match headed for a draw on a flat pitch drained of its lifeblood.
Even the drama in the final evening session, when England were denied a possible victory by bad light, came too late to whet the appetite of stayaway fans.
When play was halted, England required just 25 runs off eight overs.
Dubai is to stage the second Test from tomorrow, when crowds are again expected to be sparse, although organizers are hopeful of an upturn for the final Test in Sharjah.
Declining crowds for Tests is not restricted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“There were never great crowds in Pakistan in modern times,” former England captain Bob Willis told Sky Sports. “In India, all they want to see is one-day cricket. Once you lose a Test crowd, it’s hard to get it back.”
“Similarly in South Africa, only the Cape Town Test gets any crowd at all,” Willis said. “People are concerned about the future of Tests — it’s only in England and Australia where you still get large crowds.”
Pakistan have been forced to play their “home” series in the UAE ever since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team sparked an international boycott of tours to the country.
However, even when Pakistan last hosted a Test, against Sri Lanka in Lahore six years ago, there were more policemen than fans in the stadium.
Analysts believe the advent of more thrilling and the shorter-duration Twenty20 matches, with full houses in the Indian Premier League, are to blame for the decline in Test attendance.
England enjoyed good crowds in this year’s Ashes series, with a good number of fans making the journey from Australia. However, the Ashes tends to be the exception.
The argument that fans cannot spare time in the day to watch Test matches led cricket lawmakers to back day-night Tests using a pink ball.
Adelaide is to host a Test under lights for the first time next month, with Australia to host New Zealand.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland suggested Test matches starting late in the afternoon could be a solution.
“We came out of a series in the UAE where apart from the weekend days there was virtually no one there,” Sutherland said after Australia’s series against Pakistan last year.
However, “it’s quite forseeable that if those matches had started at 3pm and gone into the evening, the attendance would have been significantly better,” he said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely