Cricket Australia looking to cash in on India's commercial pull

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Cricket Australia looking to cash in on India's commercial pull

AFP Published July 9, 2015

SYDNEY: World champions Australia will host India in five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals in January, it was announced Thursday.

Cricket Australia (CA) said it wanted to build on the success of the World Cup co-hosted with New Zealand earlier this year when former champions India lost to Australia in the semi-final in Sydney.

“We want to build on this great momentum,” CA executive general manager Mike McKenna said.

“Following the World Cup, we are determined that local Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Afghan, Sri Lankan and other overseas-born fans who packed Australia's grounds with good-humoured noise and colour are able to maintain their passion for cricket as part of their adopted Australian lifestyles.”

Australia and India are the world's top-ranked one-day teams with their World Cup semi-final watched by more than 300 million fans on Star TV in India, CA said.

CA also announced that the Sydney Cricket Ground will host all internationals in New South Wales state. T20s have been staged at Sydney's Olympic stadium since 2010.

One-Day Internationals

January 12 - Australia v India, WACA Ground, Perth
January 15 - Australia v India, Gabba, Brisbane
January 17 - Australia v India, Melbourne Cricket Ground
January 20 - Australia v India, Manuka Oval, Canberra
January 23 - Australia v India, Sydney Cricket Ground

Twenty20 Internationals

January 26 - Australia v India, Adelaide Oval
January 29 - Australia v India, Melbourne Cricket Ground
January 31 - Australia v India, Sydney Cricket Ground

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Honey Singh

Jul 09, 2015 10:24am

My brave captain standing tall forever

Recommend 0

Girish

Jul 09, 2015 10:42am

Maintaining Cricketing interest in India seems to be pressing and critical need for world cricket. Today much of money is generated in India and this will only grow as India becomes richer and richer. Broadcasters will make hay while Sun shines.

Recommend 0

Indian

Jul 09, 2015 11:20am

Cricket is one of the reason why other sports were allowed to die in india...we need more ipl type things for other games like tennis badminton formula1 volleyball hockey etc so that all sportsmen gets recognition in india...govt should take initiative in this regards and invest billions of dollar it earns from ipl to create necessary infrastructure for other games. I would love to see nascar and NBA lining up on india's door.

Recommend 0

Faheem

Jul 09, 2015 11:25am

@Girish I don't agree, if the focus remains on one country then the game would not prosper the way it should. Football has leveraged meritocracy in its governing body, where smaller economies have benefited just like bigger and developed economies. What if China becomes a big success in cricket, then should it be China who rule the governing body and with it every decision on cricket affairs? No Sir, this is not the right way to do it.

Recommend 0

Rohit Sharma

Jul 09, 2015 11:32am

India is on the path of development and progress. I'm sure everyone wants to be a part of India's success story which is being written now.

Recommend 0

sharabi

Jul 09, 2015 11:43am

I have no problem if Australia is planning to earn huge money by Indian Cricket.

Recommend 0

Jul 09, 2015 12:47pm

Good this will give our Boys more experience in Australia .any team travelling to Australia comes out grinded whether test or Odis

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max

Jul 09, 2015 01:11pm

if fate of sports is in the hands of money man than it will bound to doom. Similar thing is happening with corrupt cricket.

Recommend 0

mustafa

Jul 09, 2015 03:45pm

Who cares, it would be better if only India , Australia, and England play cricket.It would be great fun

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Girish

Jul 09, 2015 07:46pm

@Faheem : I was not stating what 'should be' the case. I am just stating what 'is' the case. You and I can sit and wish for Utopian state of affairs. But when it comes to money only the commercial interests count. Cricketing world is very small. In that there is one country, India, that can provide commercial people and sportsmen opportunity to make money. We cannot deny this reality. Look at all other countries. England is no more interested in cricket. That leaves only Australia that can compete with India on money matters, if we wanna claim that. Rest of the cricketing countries...less said the better. Due to this reason I have stopped watching cricket for quite long ago. I would rather watch soccer which provides real entertainment and quality.

Recommend 0

raj

Jul 09, 2015 09:02pm

All the cricket pitches in India should be converted to soccer fields. Enough of this cricket though at one time, I used to watch each and every ball of cricket but the era of sachin, saorav and Rahul dravid had gone. India should focus on football now.

Recommend 0

Mehradad Doust

Jul 09, 2015 09:46pm

Nowadays , everyone wants to be a part of India's success story and its not just limited to cricket. Nothing wrong in it though. Many people complain that cricket is only game which get importance. Well nothing wrong in it either. At least India has IPL a money making league which figures in top 15 leagues in world. Benefits young players who can take it up as profession even though if they are not good enough to play for the country. And what is USA doing to spread basketball in markets where basketball is not popular..Nothing right. ..So id it India's job to spread cricket where it is not popular...of course not. Instead of cribbing and complaining, Pakistan which has second largest cricket loving population should learn and become second biggest financial cricketing superpower after BCCI. Then everything will be acceptable to everyone...even if its then only India-Pakistan playing each other every alternate day

Recommend 0

Abe

Jul 09, 2015 10:37pm

This is only the beginning. India will control many other aspects in a similar fashion. Its getting richer everyday.

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Snapshot

Jul 09, 2015 10:51pm

@Girish this is the decline of international cricket. If this is the way things are progressing then in the next 20 yrs it will be only these few countries playing Cricket and Other nations like West Indies Sri Lanka Pakistan will be struggling to survive.

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Jai

Jul 09, 2015 11:06pm

If India and China produces more effective footballers then Europe will turn to look at our side.All because rich money flow...Now a days all major sports are running by commercially.But I don't agree...

Recommend 0

Rashid Ishaq

Jul 10, 2015 03:45am

Going to be a disastrous tour for team India considering their past as well as current performance when playing away from India

Recommend 0

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