As the Gabba Stadium prepares to host its 66th Test with the third match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India starting on Saturday, the focus will be on the stadium built in 1895. Although Brisbane’s stadium has undergone several renovations in recent years, the 2032 Olympic final could be the last time the Gabba hosts a cricket match.
The 42,000-capacity stadium is on track to be phased out in the next decade, with Cricket Australia confirming to the Courier Mail a proposal to move the 2032 Olympic cricket tournament to the Gabba and move to a new stadium.
The Gabba has played an important role in Queensland cricket history. It is also clear that the site is coming to the end of its useful life. Hopefully, this latest review will at least provide certainty that Games organizers and Queensland Cricket, together with the AFL and the Lions, will make a strong case for a new stadium that can accommodate cricket and Australian rules football. At Victoria Park in the future,” outgoing Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley told the Courier Mail.
The iconic stadium previously hosted most of the opening Tests in the Australian cricket summer before hosting the final Test match of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21. The Indian team won the series by winning 2-1 in the fourth Test, breaking Australia’s 33-year-old unbeaten record at the Test venue. Australia have won 42 of the 65 Test matches they have played at the ground in their history. The stadium will host the first-ever pink-ball Test match in the Ashes in December next year, a series which has yet to feature on Cricket Australia’s home Test schedule. According to Hockley, the decision was made due to a lack of clarity about the Olympic and Paralympic elements.
“It would be amazing to host the Olympic cricket final at the Gabba and then move straight into a fantastic new stadium where fans can enjoy international and domestic cricket for the next 50 years or more. And the cost will also be avoided. The lack of clarity about the infrastructure elements of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has certainly led to a level of frustration and uncertainty for the Games to be played at the Gabba. ” said Hockley.
The CEO also said that Queensland, where the stadium is located, remains in their plans. “Queensland is a hugely important market for cricket, so it was unfortunate that we couldn’t plan for the next two years of international cricket in Brisbane in our seven-year international schedule.” The CEO said.
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