Ashes 2010 update: Cricket Australia burdened with new concerns
After the Australian Cricket Board selectors announced the 17-man Ashes squad amidst a glitzy affair at the Sydney Opera House, supporters and critics alike lashed out at them- some of them going as far as saying that anyone who knows how to pick up a bat
and a ball is included in the squad.
Injuries and struggling forms of the players are the main concern for the Aussies as they are vying for the prized urn. The selection committee demonstrated confusion as they named a huge squad- even larger than the tourists-for a home series.
However, it seems that the 17 man squad is not the only concern for Cricket Australia. Reports suggests that the ticket sales for the upcoming clash between the Aussies and Poms are unexpectedly low as half of the stadium stands are still up for grabs.
The television ratings are already slumping owing to the dismal performance of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758.
The Ashes have always been the event to give high profits with high market share to the Australian Cricket but this year, the plunging ticket sales could cost the board around $20 million during this financial year. The slashing of profits in cricket could
also affect the finances of the sport for the coming years.
The ticket sales for the much awaited clash of the arch rivals have been on sale for four months but the sales for the first Test scheduled to start on the 25th of November can be an indicator of alarming bells for the Australian board.
In the past, the Ashes was not projected commercially. It used to be about the spirit of the game and the fierce rivalry of the two teams on the pitch. But in recent times, the series is given a glamorous tint to it with the English and Kangaroos lashing
out at each other and media stunts being carried out such as the much hyped Big Ben stunt last month.
During the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia, the tickets for the 25 match days were sold out in less than a week. It generated $317 million, adding the profit into the direct expenditure in the Australian economy.
The Ashes is also a time when the tourism industry suddenly gets boosted and with the holiday season coming up during the Test matches, the poor spectator attendance could hamper other Australian industries as well.
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