October 11, 2025 • 10 mins
Could the iconic Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground be under threat?
There's growing speculation the Australian cricket bosses will be looking to move the popular event to a new location in order to free up more room for Aussie players to participate in the Big Bash.
Australian cricket commentator Jim Maxwell joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks EDB this.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Our worth cricket. Could the iconic Boxing Day cricket Test
at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds be under threat?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Bye strikes?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It's taken me thirty two years the New Zealand have
another Boxing Day wicket at the MCG.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, you mentioned the World Cup Final we start knocked
over mcvin. How about this for payback? First over we
said it wasn't quite you build it up to one thirty,
but we said it had to be accurate. We had
to make them play and this is a great sign
because it swung.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Warning Absolutely, there's a beautiful deliverate nip bark.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It swung in tramp Bolt right on the money.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
It's all about setting the tone early in tramp Bolt's
done that.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
How good to hear the voice of Shane Warn in
that commentary from twenty nineteen. I think that was actually
the high point of New Zealand's last visit to the
MCG was Trent Bolt getting a wicket very early on.
It didn't go as well after that. Some very interesting
comments though across the Tasman This week eighty four Test
Australian opener Usmand Kahwaja believes cricket bosses there should consider
(01:17):
moving the Boxing Day and the New Year's Tests if
that allows top Australian players to take part in the
Big Bash every year. Usman Kwaja says, at some level,
at some stage, everything that grows must change. He goes
on to say, as much as I love the Boxing
Day and Sydney Cricket Ground Test matches and I don't
(01:38):
want to move them, if it's better for the growth
of the game and allows Australian players to play in
the Big Bash, I think it's worth talking about and
exploring the long time voice of Australian cricket Jim Maxwell
as with as Jim, how would the average Australian cricket
fan have reacted to those comments from Usman Kowaja.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Well, I can't speak for all of them, but I
hope if they've got a bit of common sansum than
an interest in the future of the game, they'd ignore them.
I don't think that's on by any stretch of the
imagination at the moment. At the moment, because we live
in a rapidly changing world where money, money, money is
talking the game, and that conflict that keeps growing between
(02:25):
traditional Test cricket and the ICC running the game and
the franchises that are getting bigger and more powerful around
the world is on a collision course. How do you
work out what is the best program for the year.
You don't have test cricket on Boxing days of Africa don't,
(02:47):
but Australia hangs on to it. And as long as
Cricket Australia have the view that that is the most
important thing in terms of the Australian team to have
Boxing Day in particular and a series of next years
against New Zealand in Australia. I don't think what Usman's
saying is going to mean much, but it may in time,
(03:11):
yes it could.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
How important and iconic does the Boxing Day test in
particular continue to be on the Australian cricket calendar Jim Well.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
It's the biggest earner in the summer in terms of
what comes through the gate apart from eyeballs on television
and the holiday period. So it is very very important
and that's the way it's going to be for as
long as we can sustain a competitive looking test match
(03:42):
every Boxing Day and that in itself does become a
little bit of a problem when you know you move
away to having Pakistan West Indies dare I say it,
hopefully not New Zealand because they're okay at the moment,
But we are moving to a changing landscape in the
world of Test cricket. I think two divisions may well
(04:02):
become the order of the day. Fortunately, unfortunate whichever way
you want to look at it. But yes, Boxing Day
is a big event. It's not quite the Melbourne Cup,
but you know you're going to get fifty thousand plus
you'll get almost one hundred thousand this year with England
in Australia, so it's a big day and a big
(04:26):
match in the scheme of things during an Australian summer.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
The reason Osmond Kwaja even made the comments, I think
was because top players, top top players like Pat commons
like Travis Head have been offered massive money to quit
Australian cricket all together and just play franchise cricket full time.
If it is a matter of moving Test matches, but
keeping players like that, is it worthy of at least
opening a discussion or not?
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I think I think the other side are going to
have to make ren for it. I say that advisedly.
I think there are one hundred and seventy four IPO
matches coming up next year, so we're looking at it
an amazing amount of twenty cricket, which you know, for
a lot of us is more than the corn flax
(05:13):
can go down in the space of a week. There's
too much of it, and it's all a bit the same.
But this is the kind of cricket world where we're
moving towards more and more, particularly on the back of
all the corporates in India throwing so much money at it.
I mean, you know now that the IPL in terms
of the television side of it in particular, is almost
(05:37):
as big as American NFL. That's how big it's become.
And you can see why with that huge audience out there,
it's no wonder that people want to have part of
it all, you know. Beyond beyond that and all these
temptations and discussions about other leagues being formed, it's not
(05:58):
about test cricket there for sure. It's all about T twenty.
And I suppose if we're going to keep people in
this game cricket, we're going to have to find a
way to manage all of that, and that's the difficulty.
The players, on one hand feel most of them substantially
Test Crickets what the game is about. But on the
(06:19):
other the people who run it, who like to collect
the crumbs and put coins in the bank, they see
it's far more realistic, longer term to have more and
more of that which pays the tune, the circus that
goes around regularly and draws the crowd. But Test cricket
(06:40):
does pretty well still for Australia and for England, not
so much for India perhaps in terms of crowds, but
at least for the time being. I think Test crickets
are secure, and so's the boxing day Test. But that
can change.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Just a word on your Big Besh, Jim. There's been
ongoing talks about the possible privatization of the franchises, even
moving the competition into a different window so it doesn't
have to compete with other overseas leagues for talent. Well,
what is the current health of the Big Bash in
your view?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Oh, I think it's very healthy, But there are, as
ever in Australia competing interests in this battle to see
who's going to have ownership, and most of the States,
as far as I can see, don't want it at
the moment. But once again, the amount of money that's
going to be pumped in money from India this is
where it's going to come from, to corporatize the game
(07:33):
and have private ownership will be overwhelming. So at some
point it will probably happen. Happen, but at the moment,
the States are very keen to hang on to the product,
if I can call it that, that they've got, that's
a pretty good earner for them and that makes enough
sense to keep it as it is, provided of course
(07:56):
that they can get more access to the best players,
and that's part of what osmon Kawaja was on about,
of course.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
And just a word on the Ashes, as you say,
there'll be huge interest both domestically and from the visiting
fans as well. I can tell you, Jim, I think
it's the cricket I'm most looking forward to in the
summer ahead. We've just got three Test matches against the
West Indies and December to consume us. As far as
the red ball is concerned. How much anticipation is there
around about the upcoming ashes?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Well from a Stralian perspective, despite the fact that it
looks like Pat Cummins may not even play a Test
this summer because of his back problems. The interest in
the series just a number of people, a bit like
when the lines we're here recently will be huge, will
be full houses and a number of days of Test
match cricket, and I think the expectation is that it
(08:47):
is going to be a challenging, competitive series. There's a
lot of speculation about who and white and where and
why at this point because we're still about five or
six weeks away from it. I mean, will Bend Stokes bowl?
Will he be fit enough for the whole series? There
are so many questions around the injuries on the fringe
(09:09):
or actual with both sides, about who will be selected,
particularly in the Australian top three, so we've got a
lot to look forward to. Its massive expectation always is
when England come to town, but probably more so this
time because you're looking at what I've described as a
redemption series to Smith and Stokes in particular, probably the
(09:33):
last time we see either or both of them playing
in a in a Test match series against each other.
So there's lots of things cranking around as we move
towards a serious transition stage for the Australian team in
the next two years. A lot of the fellows will
gained to watch during this summer probably won't be playing
(09:54):
again in another year or two from now, and that's
an interesting thought on its own. Who's going to replace them?
But yeah, a lot of expectation and hopefully to watch
some exciting cricket because England certainly always promise to deliver
that excitement when they're batting.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Well, well, certainly you have eyes on the side of
the tessment as well. Wonderful to chat Jim, Thank you
so much for taking.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
The time, right Jason, All the best man, all the
best of you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Too, Jim Jim Maxwell there. I love the way he
says the word cricket. It's just so laid back, isn't it.
You just come'tus up images of sitting on the bank
at an ASHES test and listening to Jim Maxwell call
the game.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks EDB this.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Our worth cricket. Could the iconic Boxing Day cricket Test
at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds be under threat?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Bye strikes?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
It's taken me thirty two years the New Zealand have
another Boxing Day wicket at the MCG.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, you mentioned the World Cup Final we start knocked
over mcvin. How about this for payback? First over we
said it wasn't quite you build it up to one thirty,
but we said it had to be accurate. We had
to make them play and this is a great sign
because it swung.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Warning Absolutely, there's a beautiful deliverate nip bark.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It swung in tramp Bolt right on the money.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
It's all about setting the tone early in tramp Bolt's
done that.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
How good to hear the voice of Shane Warn in
that commentary from twenty nineteen. I think that was actually
the high point of New Zealand's last visit to the
MCG was Trent Bolt getting a wicket very early on.
It didn't go as well after that. Some very interesting
comments though across the Tasman This week eighty four Test
Australian opener Usmand Kahwaja believes cricket bosses there should consider
(01:17):
moving the Boxing Day and the New Year's Tests if
that allows top Australian players to take part in the
Big Bash every year. Usman Kwaja says, at some level,
at some stage, everything that grows must change. He goes
on to say, as much as I love the Boxing
Day and Sydney Cricket Ground Test matches and I don't
(01:38):
want to move them, if it's better for the growth
of the game and allows Australian players to play in
the Big Bash, I think it's worth talking about and
exploring the long time voice of Australian cricket Jim Maxwell
as with as Jim, how would the average Australian cricket
fan have reacted to those comments from Usman Kowaja.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Well, I can't speak for all of them, but I
hope if they've got a bit of common sansum than
an interest in the future of the game, they'd ignore them.
I don't think that's on by any stretch of the
imagination at the moment. At the moment, because we live
in a rapidly changing world where money, money, money is
talking the game, and that conflict that keeps growing between
(02:25):
traditional Test cricket and the ICC running the game and
the franchises that are getting bigger and more powerful around
the world is on a collision course. How do you
work out what is the best program for the year.
You don't have test cricket on Boxing days of Africa don't,
(02:47):
but Australia hangs on to it. And as long as
Cricket Australia have the view that that is the most
important thing in terms of the Australian team to have
Boxing Day in particular and a series of next years
against New Zealand in Australia. I don't think what Usman's
saying is going to mean much, but it may in time,
(03:11):
yes it could.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
How important and iconic does the Boxing Day test in
particular continue to be on the Australian cricket calendar Jim Well.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
It's the biggest earner in the summer in terms of
what comes through the gate apart from eyeballs on television
and the holiday period. So it is very very important
and that's the way it's going to be for as
long as we can sustain a competitive looking test match
(03:42):
every Boxing Day and that in itself does become a
little bit of a problem when you know you move
away to having Pakistan West Indies dare I say it,
hopefully not New Zealand because they're okay at the moment,
But we are moving to a changing landscape in the
world of Test cricket. I think two divisions may well
(04:02):
become the order of the day. Fortunately, unfortunate whichever way
you want to look at it. But yes, Boxing Day
is a big event. It's not quite the Melbourne Cup,
but you know you're going to get fifty thousand plus
you'll get almost one hundred thousand this year with England
in Australia, so it's a big day and a big
(04:26):
match in the scheme of things during an Australian summer.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
The reason Osmond Kwaja even made the comments, I think
was because top players, top top players like Pat commons
like Travis Head have been offered massive money to quit
Australian cricket all together and just play franchise cricket full time.
If it is a matter of moving Test matches, but
keeping players like that, is it worthy of at least
opening a discussion or not?
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I think I think the other side are going to
have to make ren for it. I say that advisedly.
I think there are one hundred and seventy four IPO
matches coming up next year, so we're looking at it
an amazing amount of twenty cricket, which you know, for
a lot of us is more than the corn flax
(05:13):
can go down in the space of a week. There's
too much of it, and it's all a bit the same.
But this is the kind of cricket world where we're
moving towards more and more, particularly on the back of
all the corporates in India throwing so much money at it.
I mean, you know now that the IPL in terms
of the television side of it in particular, is almost
(05:37):
as big as American NFL. That's how big it's become.
And you can see why with that huge audience out there,
it's no wonder that people want to have part of
it all, you know. Beyond beyond that and all these
temptations and discussions about other leagues being formed, it's not
(05:58):
about test cricket there for sure. It's all about T twenty.
And I suppose if we're going to keep people in
this game cricket, we're going to have to find a
way to manage all of that, and that's the difficulty.
The players, on one hand feel most of them substantially
Test Crickets what the game is about. But on the
(06:19):
other the people who run it, who like to collect
the crumbs and put coins in the bank, they see
it's far more realistic, longer term to have more and
more of that which pays the tune, the circus that
goes around regularly and draws the crowd. But Test cricket
(06:40):
does pretty well still for Australia and for England, not
so much for India perhaps in terms of crowds, but
at least for the time being. I think Test crickets
are secure, and so's the boxing day Test. But that
can change.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Just a word on your Big Besh, Jim. There's been
ongoing talks about the possible privatization of the franchises, even
moving the competition into a different window so it doesn't
have to compete with other overseas leagues for talent. Well,
what is the current health of the Big Bash in
your view?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Oh, I think it's very healthy, But there are, as
ever in Australia competing interests in this battle to see
who's going to have ownership, and most of the States,
as far as I can see, don't want it at
the moment. But once again, the amount of money that's
going to be pumped in money from India this is
where it's going to come from, to corporatize the game
(07:33):
and have private ownership will be overwhelming. So at some
point it will probably happen. Happen, but at the moment,
the States are very keen to hang on to the product,
if I can call it that, that they've got, that's
a pretty good earner for them and that makes enough
sense to keep it as it is, provided of course
(07:56):
that they can get more access to the best players,
and that's part of what osmon Kawaja was on about,
of course.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
And just a word on the Ashes, as you say,
there'll be huge interest both domestically and from the visiting
fans as well. I can tell you, Jim, I think
it's the cricket I'm most looking forward to in the
summer ahead. We've just got three Test matches against the
West Indies and December to consume us. As far as
the red ball is concerned. How much anticipation is there
around about the upcoming ashes?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Well from a Stralian perspective, despite the fact that it
looks like Pat Cummins may not even play a Test
this summer because of his back problems. The interest in
the series just a number of people, a bit like
when the lines we're here recently will be huge, will
be full houses and a number of days of Test
match cricket, and I think the expectation is that it
(08:47):
is going to be a challenging, competitive series. There's a
lot of speculation about who and white and where and
why at this point because we're still about five or
six weeks away from it. I mean, will Bend Stokes bowl?
Will he be fit enough for the whole series? There
are so many questions around the injuries on the fringe
(09:09):
or actual with both sides, about who will be selected,
particularly in the Australian top three, so we've got a
lot to look forward to. Its massive expectation always is
when England come to town, but probably more so this
time because you're looking at what I've described as a
redemption series to Smith and Stokes in particular, probably the
(09:33):
last time we see either or both of them playing
in a in a Test match series against each other.
So there's lots of things cranking around as we move
towards a serious transition stage for the Australian team in
the next two years. A lot of the fellows will
gained to watch during this summer probably won't be playing
(09:54):
again in another year or two from now, and that's
an interesting thought on its own. Who's going to replace them?
But yeah, a lot of expectation and hopefully to watch
some exciting cricket because England certainly always promise to deliver
that excitement when they're batting.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Well, well, certainly you have eyes on the side of
the tessment as well. Wonderful to chat Jim, Thank you
so much for taking.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
The time, right Jason, All the best man, all the
best of you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Too, Jim Jim Maxwell there. I love the way he
says the word cricket. It's just so laid back, isn't it.
You just come'tus up images of sitting on the bank
at an ASHES test and listening to Jim Maxwell call
the game.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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