Cricket Australia Says There's Still Appetite For One-Day Internationals

Cricket Australia insisted "there is still a widespread appetite for one-day cricket -- and not just watching it on TV -- despite recent results showing Big Bash League matches attracting bigger crowds than limited-overs internationals at half of its Test venues," according to Jesse Hogan of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The eight-match series between Australia and South Africa "has generated strong ratings for Channel Nine." That high level of interest "has not, however, been reflected in attendances." Just under 72,000 attended the three Twenty20 matches earlier this month, compared to the 64,385 who went to last summer's Australia-England Twenty20 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. CA "rejected the suggestion that the results were a sign of apathy." Instead, it said that they "were a result of having to play a limited-overs series in November, outside of the prime school-holidays period, because of the necessity to play all their matches by February 1, because of the World Cup" (SMH, 11/17).