THe Gabba - An International Cricketing Backwater

[howardj]

The treatment by Cricket Australia (CA) of the Gabba is bordering on farcical, and is seriously alienating everyone who loves cricket here in Queensland…

This Summer has been pitiful:

• We didn’t host even one of the five games in the ODI series against South Africa
• On top of that, we didn’t get to see Australia play at all in the Tri-Series involving India and England (all we got was one India v England game which was mid-week) while Sydney and Melbourne both got to see Australia play twice, and every other venue in Australia got to see Australia play at least once…yes, even Hobart, which many quite rightly don’t regard as part of Australia)
• Then, for the World Cup, we have to munch on an unpalatable diet of minnows (the only time we get to see Australia is a game against the woeful Bangladesh, while the only other two Gabba World Cup games feature “powerhouses” such as Zimbabwe, UAE and Ireland)
• And of course we don’t get any of the knockout games at the pointy end of the World Cup (QF’s, SF’s or Final) while outposts such as Auckland and Adelaide do
• Furthermore, CA seriously considered abandoning just the Brisbane Test after the Hughes incident

On top of all that, it’s the only cricket ground in Australia were they don’t sell spirits (unless you’re in the Members Section) because they think the spectators are too feral

Furthermore, the security at the ground is so stifling and miserable that they didn’t even let me hang my Phil Hughes banner up during the Test, yet it was allowed at all other grounds in Australia this Summer

Why is a cricket loving girl or boy in Brisbane any less entitled to see their team play than a cricket loving child in Sydney? Even on economic grounds it doesn't make sense, as the Gabba holds just as many people as the SCG

CA sure do everything to turn Queenslanders off cricket…I’m surprised they didn’t veto Joe Burns’ selection in the Test team earlier this Summer

 

[Cabinet96]

yes, even Hobart, which many quite rightly don’t regard as part of Australia)

Wait, I had no idea this was an actual thing.

 

[_Ed_]

I was right with you until you called us an outpost. Booooo.

 

[The_Bunny]

Hobart shouldn't be part of Australia, but they don't have matches anywhere else in this state

 

[NUFAN]

Did you read the article which put the Gabba's World Cup failure on Campbell Newman and penny-pinching politicians?

Overall though, I think its only fair that Adelaide get the quarter-final over Brisbane, the venue is just better than the Gabba now for ODIs.

Canberra getting the same number of games as both Brisbane and Perth is probably Brisbane's problem - Also, you could look at it more positively and think you get to see Australia play a World Cup match on a weekend and see what could potentially be a crucial match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe (also on a weekend).

 

[Jono]

Can someone change the thread title to:

"Queensland - a backwater"

 

[Adders]

The treatment by Cricket Australia (CA) of the Gabba is bordering on farcical, and is seriously alienating everyone who loves cricket here in Queensland…

This Summer has been pitiful:

• We didn’t host even one of the five games in the ODI series against South Africa
• On top of that, we didn’t get to see Australia play at all in the Tri-Series involving India and England (all we got was one India v England game which was mid-week) while Sydney and Melbourne both got to see Australia play twice, and every other venue in Australia got to see Australia play at least once…yes, even Hobart, which many quite rightly don’t regard as part of Australia)
• Then, for the World Cup, we have to munch on an unpalatable diet of minnows (the only time we get to see Australia is a game against the woeful Bangladesh, while the only other two Gabba World Cup games feature “powerhouses” such as Zimbabwe, UAE and Ireland)
• And of course we don’t get any of the knockout games at the pointy end of the World Cup (QF’s, SF’s or Final) while outposts such as Auckland and Adelaide do
• Furthermore, CA seriously considered abandoning just the Brisbane Test after the Hughes incident

On top of all that, it’s the only cricket ground in Australia were they don’t sell spirits (unless you’re in the Members Section) because they think the spectators are too feral

Furthermore, the security at the ground is so stifling and miserable that they didn’t even let me hang my Phil Hughes banner up during the Test, yet it was allowed at all other grounds in Australia this Summer

Why is a cricket loving girl or boy in Brisbane any less entitled to see their team play than a cricket loving child in Sydney? Even on economic grounds it doesn't make sense, as the Gabba holds just as many people as the SCG

CA sure do everything to turn Queenslanders off cricket…I’m surprised they didn’t veto Joe Burns’ selection in the Test team earlier this Summer

I can't speak for CA's reasoning behind the lack of quality cricket at the GABBA this year...........but perhaps the bolded has something to do with it??

Maybe the GABBA needs to get it's own house in order before it can make demands on the schedule??

Can't say I've even watched cricket up there, but I have been to every other test venue in this country other than Perth (which I plan to do next Ashes) I can honestly say that the GABBA holds zero interest to me to make the effort to go there for the very reasons you mention. Sorry howard but it has to be bottom of the list as a cricket venue in this country and that is from someone that loves QLD and would move up there in a flash if circumstances were different.

 

[Gnske]

Gabba is a dreadful ground anyway, AB field or bust.

 

[howardj]

Did you read the article which put the Gabba's World Cup failure on Campbell Newman and penny-pinching politicians?

Overall though, I think its only fair that Adelaide get the quarter-final over Brisbane, the venue is just better than the Gabba now for ODIs.

Canberra getting the same number of games as both Brisbane and Perth is probably Brisbane's problem - Also, you could look at it more positively and think you get to see Australia play a World Cup match on a weekend and see what could potentially be a crucial match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe (also on a weekend).

RE Adelaide v Brisbane...surely it should go on a combination of ground capacity and population in the City. On the former, we trail slightly. On the latter, we come out way ahead

In fact , we're third in Australia overall when you combine these two factors, I'd reckon

As it is though, Adelaide got a swag of ODIs and T20 Australian games this Summer, a WC QF and some real marque non Aussie games such as Pak v Ind

 

[JBMAC]

I have watched and played at The Gabba since 1946.It was a brilliant ground to watch at and the wicket always ran relatively true.From '46 to the advent of Brisbane Lions and drop in pitches I would rate it as the best. Unfortunately I have only ever played on the SCG a few times and I still rate The Gabba as the best. This post could be considered biased but I say what I believe is true Blue..

 

[Jono]

RE Adelaide v Brisbane...surely it should go on a combination of ground capacity and population in the City. On the former, we trail slightly. On the latter, we come out way ahead

In fact , we're third in Australia overall when you combine these two factors, I'd reckon

As it is though, Adelaide got a swag of ODIs and T20 Australian games this Summer, a WC QF and some real marque non Aussie games such as Pak v Ind

Isn't it a bidding thing? Didn't Adelaide bid hard for Ind vs. Pak?

 

[howardj]

CA in my view has a duty to spread the game around equally - they're hardly short of a quid

This should be done based on a combination of (a) the capacity of the ground (b) the population of the City

On both these scores, Brisbane more than holds its own:

(a) Ground capacity – only slightly less than Sydney and Adelaide
(b) Population – as I understand it, Brisbane is on track to out-populate Melbourne in the coming decades and is certainly currently third in these stakes

Cricket is a unique sport where the game is largely followed through the international theatre (unlike NRL, unlike AFL etc.) – how the Aussie cricket team is going, is really how Australian cricket is going. The fortunes of the national team are inextricably bound up with the level of support for the game

If we seldom get to see the Aussie team in the flesh, then fans (especially kiddies) can lose interest

To quote Darren Hinch, 'who's looking after the children?' lol

 

[Burgey]

I have watched and played at The Gabba since 1946.It was a brilliant ground to watch at and the wicket always ran relatively true.From '46 to the advent of Brisbane Lions and drop in pitches I would rate it as the best. Unfortunately I have only ever played on the SCG a few times and I still rate The Gabba as the best. This post could be considered biased but I say what I believe is true Blue..

JB, do you think making the ground an all-around stadium has taken something away from it? I went up to watch day one of the test vs the Windies about a decade ago when McGrath rolled them for 70 (2000-2001 maybe?) and it sort of felt like a lot of the atmospherics had disappeared from the place. I know they had to get rid of the dog track and all, but I wonder whether keeping the old Cricketers' Club or some such thing might have kept some character.

I haven't been to Adelaide since the refurb, but it seems they've pretty well got it right in keeping one end of the ground quite open so the cathedral is still visible, whereas the Gabba seems to be ubiquitous these days. I know the MCG is a massive dome as well, but it was always a massive dome in some form or other, so it's a bit different to the situation at the Gabba imo.

 

[Burgey]

CA in my view has a duty to spread the game around equally - they're hardly short of a quid

This should be done based on a combination of (a) the capacity of the ground (b) the population of the City

On both these scores, Brisbane more than holds its own:

(a) Ground capacity – only slightly less than Sydney and Adelaide
(b) Population – as I understand it, Brisbane is on track to out-populate Melbourne in the coming decades and is certainly currently third in these stakes

Cricket is a unique sport where the game is largely followed through the international theatre (unlike NRL, unlike AFL etc.) – how the Aussie cricket team is going, is really how Australian cricket is going. The fortunes of the national team are inextricably bound up with the level of support for the game

If we seldom get to see the Aussie team in the flesh, then fans (especially kiddies) can lose interest

To quote Darren Hinch, 'who's looking after the children?' lol

Not to mention most Queenslanders have two heads

 

[Jono]

CA in my view has a duty to spread the game around equally - they're hardly short of a quid

This should be done based on a combination of (a) the capacity of the ground (b) the population of the City

On both these scores, Brisbane more than holds its own:

(a) Ground capacity – only slightly less than Sydney and Adelaide
(b) Population – as I understand it, Brisbane is on track to out-populate Melbourne in the coming decades and is certainly currently third in these stakes

Cricket is a unique sport where the game is largely followed through the international theatre (unlike NRL, unlike AFL etc.) – how the Aussie cricket team is going, is really how Australian cricket is going. The fortunes of the national team are inextricably bound up with the level of support for the game

If we seldom get to see the Aussie team in the flesh, then fans (especially kiddies) can lose interest

To quote Darren Hinch, 'who's looking after the children?' lol

but don't you ****s not rock up to the cricket anyway?

 

[Gnske]

but don't you ****s not rock up to the cricket anyway?

Hey man, plenty of people turned up last time I went to an international match there, about 15 or so people.

 

[Immenso]

Gabba always seems empty (relatively, compared to the other major Aus grounds) when I watch on the telly.

 

[howardj]

but don't you ****s not rock up to the cricket anyway?

No we don't because they serve up a **** schedule

THen they punish us further by alloting an even ****ter schedule

Vicious cycle

Seriously though, it's just way out whack - what Sydney and Melbourne get in comparison to the rest

If Mel or Syd sold out or got anywhere near selling out their ODIs for example, then maybe my case would be weakened somewhat - but they don't

It's way out of whack

 

[howardj]

Gabba always seems empty (relatively, compared to the other major Aus grounds) when I watch on the telly.

Pardon me if I don't show up to watch India dook it out with England on a Tuesday

 

[howardj]

JB, do you think making the ground an all-around stadium has taken something away from it? I went up to watch day one of the test vs the Windies about a decade ago when McGrath rolled them for 70 (2000-2001 maybe?) and it sort of felt like a lot of the atmospherics had disappeared from the place. I know they had to get rid of the dog track and all, but I wonder whether keeping the old Cricketers' Club or some such thing might have kept some character.

I haven't been to Adelaide since the refurb, but it seems they've pretty well got it right in keeping one end of the ground quite open so the cathedral is still visible, whereas the Gabba seems to be ubiquitous these days. I know the MCG is a massive dome as well, but it was always a massive dome in some form or other, so it's a bit different to the situation at the Gabba imo.

Absolutely, the Gabba is a colesseum now, and devoid of character

Do you know it's the only ground in Australia without any grandstand names?

It's just one big stand, all the way around

Even in the Members Area, there's no real hall of fame or statues, paying tribute to Qld born Masters of the Gabba like Voss, Hayden, Black, Healy