New Delhi
Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) chief Stuart Fox has addressed the potential for the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to host two Tests in a single season, emphasizing that the decision lies with Australia’s governing body for the sport. Last month, Australian media reports hinted at the iconic Melbourne venue being considered to host two Test matches, enabling Australia to host the traditional Boxing Day Test against New Zealand on December 26 in 2026 with the possibility of a one-off match against England to celebrate the 150th year of Test cricket in March of 2027. It’s really a question for Cricket Australia. We’ve had discussions, it’s certainly not locked in. We’ve certainly expressed strong interest that we would love to host that game, Fox said on SEN Breakfast. It would be just fantastic to have two massive Test matches. We’re in it if Cricket Australia can pull it off, but it’s never easy. The cricketing calendar would be a nightmare. Fingers crossed. The agenda moving forward is India into England into New Zealand and a possible special Test in 2027, he added. Regarding this year’s Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, starting on December 26, Fox anticipates robust attendance, particularly during the initial two days. The tradition and history of the ‘G and Test cricket – I think we’ve had 155 Test matches since 1877. There’s so much history so fans tend to turn up. I’d certainly be hoping for some big numbers. Day 1 you’d want to push over 70,000 and Day 2 (over) 60,000. I still think we can have really strong numbers for Pakistan. The agenda ahead of Pakistan for the next three or four years is just outstanding, so there’s going to be huge patronage for years to come, he said.
