‘It’s great cricket’: Angry, abrasive England an Ashes goldmine for CA

The English Test team’s increasingly combative approach has set the scene for a record-breaking Ashes windfall.

And Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg couldn’t be happier.

Flashpoints throughout India’s compelling tour of England – from spiteful encounters at Lord’s and petulant reactions to the tourists knocking back Ben Stokes’ offer of an early draw – have dominated headlines in Australia ahead of one of the most anticipated Ashes series in recent memory.

English players have spoken of premeditated plans to sledge India with an eye to the Australian summer, with white-ball skipper Harry Brook revealing coach Brendan McCullum had told his side they were “too nice” to opponents.

The missive is in direct contrast to the “nice guys” reputation fostered by New Zealand under McCullum’s captaincy.

But the new, spiky England, combined with the high-octane “Bazball” approach – albeit noticeably tempered of late – has been the talk of Australian sport this week. Which is music to Greenberg’s ears.

Ben Stokes (left) and Ravindra Jadeja exchange words at the end of the fourth Test.

“It’s great, isn’t it? It’s great cricket to watch as a fan,” Greenberg said of England’s abrasive on-field approach. “It’s great cricket to watch leading into them coming here on this Ashes trip. It will sell more tickets for us.

“We like to think that’s talkability. The fact that we’re here talking about cricket in the middle of the domestic footy season is a good thing.

“Everyone will have their opinion when our English friends arrive I’m sure, and we’re looking forward to that very much. I love the way they’re playing their cricket and I can’t wait to see them test themselves on our shores.”

CA has trumpeted the prospect of England bringing a record-breaking summer of attendances and TV ratings given the interest in Stokes’ side.

Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins after the final day of an emotion-charged 2023 Ashes.

Every opening day of the five Ashes Tests across Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney is now sold out. Ticket allocations for days 1-3 at the Gabba, Adelaide Oval and SCG have also been exhausted.

Pre-sale tickets for Ashes Tests more than doubled those of last summer’s Border-Gavaskar series, when 837,879 fans turned out for the highest attended Test campaign in Australian history outside of the Ashes.

The all-time attendance record for a Test series on home soil stands at 946,750, which was set during the 1936-37 Ashes when Sir Donald Bradman was in his pomp.

England’s tour from November will be the first Ashes clash since the enthralling 2023 series, in which Australia retained the urn and fallout from the infamous Lord’s Test dominated coverage.

The Barmy Army are set to come Down Under in their thousands once again.

While Stokes was a notable withdrawal from England’s fifth Test against India due to what is tipped as a 10-week shoulder injury, Greenberg and CA chair Mike Baird’s immediate focus is sifting through the advice of an independent report on privatising Big Bash League franchises.

Recommendations from the Boston Consulting Group that will be considered by CA powerbrokers include a later start to the BBL season from Christmas to February and how to ensure Australia’s stars turn out in the domestic T20 tournament.

Greenberg and Baird stressed an open mind will be kept on the prospect of selling off stakes in BBL clubs, though Greenberg emphatically dismissed any suggestion of the MCG and SCG Tests being shifted from their Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve slots.

“They’ve been anchored for a long period of time and you’ll only have to turn up to these Test matches this year to see the scale that they bring to cricket,” Greenberg said.

“So there’s been no discussions about moving them.”