Cricket South Africa (CSA) has a responsibility to spread the game to all corners of the country.
Every South African has the right to watch the national team – men’s and women’s teams – in the flesh. But that does not mean Test cricket has to be played everywhere. Limited-overs cricket – be it ODI’s or T20I’s – is a much better way to attract audiences outside of the major city centres.
It is seen as an event, particularly in the smaller towns, and has always been well supported. But to expect these communities to attend five days of cricket is a stretch.
We have seen over the last fortnight in both Durban and Gqeberha the paltry attendances at the Proteas’ two Test matches against Sri Lanka.
For me, this was not surprising to be honest.
These two cities have shown their apathy for attending Test cricket for the last 15 years.
My Kingsmead hat was thrown away all those years ago already when the Durban people felt they need not be bothered to give South Africa’s greatest cricketer of all time, Jacques Kallis, any form of a worthy send off on his last day of Test cricket.
St George’s Park, meanwhile, boasts arguably the best atmosphere for white-ball cricket with the band creating a festive feel, but the grand old lady has long lost its passion for Test cricket.
There are counter-arguments that CSA’s marketing budget does not extend to Test cricket, but there is only so much they can do.
Dwindling Test match attendances is a universal problem. Outside of Australia and England, it has been a challenge to attract spectators to Test match cricket.
Even in cricket-crazy India there has been a call to streamline the hosting of Test matches. And this is why I believe Proteas’ Test matches have to be confined to the Wanderers (Johannesburg), SuperSport Park (Centurion) and Newlands (Cape Town).
There has been outcry regarding the Proteas’ minimal Test schedule that doesn’t constitute more than two-match series’, but for all the moaning on social media it has not led to any feet through the turnstiles.
A case could also be made for Boland Park in Paarl to host a second-ever pink-ball Test in South Africa each summer.
There is, of course, a cost factor associated with it but at least the automatic novelty factor would allow CSA’s marketing team to create an event similar to “Pink Day” at the Wanderers.
I’ve had the pleasure of attending a day-night pink-ball Test in Adelaide where the actual cricket is only a bit part of the entertainment.
The concourse on the outskirts resembled the JB Met or the Durban July, with an entire section in a local newspaper dedicated to “What to do at the Adelaide Oval while not watching the cricket”.
Temba Bavuma’s Proteas are playing fantastic Test match cricket at the moment. They are on a five-match winning streak and are one just one game away from qualifying for the World Test Championship at Lord’s next year.
They deserve to play at home before packed stadiums and CSA needs to give the team the best possible chance of it being achieved.