Despite the tremendous anticipation surrounding India's tour of Australia, ticket sales for the first Test starting December 26 have not kept pace with the excitement generated.
- 'Sreesanth's aggression may cost India'
Just over 22,000 tickets have been sold for the first day's play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which, though high for a non-Ashes year, compares poorly with almost 67,000 at the corresponding stage last year, when Boxing Day was sold out for England.
Incidentally, when South Africa toured in 2005-06, only 11,000 tickets had been sold for Boxing Day at the same stage.
Cricket Victoria staff held a three-hour meeting on Wednesday to discuss promotional strategies for the first Test, most of which will be rolled out in the second half of December.
However, they are restricted in their access to the star players in the visiting team as India will land in Melbourne with just enough time for a three-day encounter with Victoria at the Junction Oval starting December 20.
Australian speedster Brett Lee may put an India-Australia Test series at par with the Ashes, but the oldest rivalry in cricket is still the showpiece event in the domestic calendar. Recognising that fact, Cricket Australia is set to decide on a proposal to make the Ashes six-Test contests.
CA wants to play a Test in every state when England tours, which last happened in 1978-79, and is prepared to reciprocate by returning to six Tests when Australia tours England.
However, the close proximity of England's next tour in 2010-11 to the 2011 World Cup in the sub-continent is the major obstacle in the way.
"That is a current area of discussion that is still under way and we don't know what the outcome will be," Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young was quoted as saying in The Age.
"It is known that our preference is for six Tests because it allows us to play one in every state," he said.
It is understood England is also pushing to change the natural Ashes cycle so that its Australian tours do not come immediately before the World Cup. England disappointed in the Caribbean this year after it was beaten 5-0 by Ricky Ponting's Australians in the Ashes series.
In the short term, CA is working to finalise the visits of New Zealand and South Africa next summer for three Tests each and, in all likelihood, separate head-to-head series of five one-day internationals apiece.
"We haven't confirmed the detail for next season yet, including its structure," Young said.
"We hope to be able to tell the public very soon the broad direction we think the game will be going in, although some detail might change. The public appeal of the triangular series is very strong."
