The radical move Optus Stadium boss wanted to see after Test’s two-day finish

Optus Stadium boss Mike McKenna has hit out at England for their role in one of the shortest Tests in Ashes history, saying it cost cricket officials the chance to grow the international game in Western Australia.

McKenna also took aim at Cricket Australia for not taking the radical move of staging an impromptu game to give fans, many of whom had travelled from the other side of the world without seeing any of the Test, the chance to watch some cricket.

The two-day Test will cost CA around $4 million in losses from corporate hospitality and the refunding of ticket sales, and also denied the Perth market the rare chance to see Ashes cricket in the city’s shiny new stadium.

WA missed out on a Test in the 2021-22 Ashes due to the state’s stringent quarantine measures to control COVID-19. McKenna said with all but 500 general admission tickets sold, a crowd of 50,000 was expected for the third day.

CA is sympathetic with fans and stakeholders who wanted to see more action, but said the deeds of Mitchell Starc and Travis Head left a strong impression on young fans.

Cricket fans in Perth have been strong supporters of the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League, but it has been challenging for officials to convert that interest to the national team, outside of marquee fixtures against India and England.

“I’d firstly say [it’s] a lost opportunity to grow the game in WA because there would have been a lot of people with kids on day three for Sunday,” McKenna said.

“They missed an opportunity, and it may not come again for four years. They don’t tend to engage otherwise in international cricket. Not having that opportunity is a miss, and we’re really disappointed we didn’t get an Ashes Test four years ago.”

As the inaugural boss of the Big Bash League when it was revamped to a city-based competition for 2010-11, McKenna is well aware of cricket’s challenge in winning new fans.

The Test appeared destined to head into a third day until England’s spectacular collapse after lunch, when they lost 9/99 and could not stop a Head-inspired Australia from mowing down their target of 205 in the final session.

England’s dual collapses contributed most to the early finish, but McKenna did not absolve the Australians from blame.

“Both teams played their part in the quick finish,” McKenna said. “I don’t want to let Australia off the hook. After last year, they’d have had more awareness what the wicket would be like.

“No one has criticised how the wicket has played. It didn’t keep low or bounce outrageously, [and there was] not much sideways movement, just good fast bowling on a fast bowling track until the Poms lost line and length in their fourth innings.”

McKenna’s idea to stage a last-minute game to replace some of the lost action has echoes of the call made by cricket officials in 1971 to hold a one-day international after the first three days of the Test were washed out. It was the first ODI played.

“The question is – people pay for tickets – why wasn’t there an opportunity to fill the space with another form of cricket?

“They’re paid performers, [on] a big stage, a group of 22 performers, an audience of 50,000 all with money to spend. Why wouldn’t you take an opportunity?”

Such a game would have been almost impossible to arrange at late notice, not least because of contractual issues with players.

“What’s more important to cricket? Engaging fans or looking after player contracts?” McKenna said.

“It’s not delivering what the fans want. You have people who travelled for days and hours to get here, [and] pay a lot for accommodation. I think the average tourist spent seven days on accommodation in Perth. It’s great to see the tourism sites, but they’d rather be seeing the cricket.

“If it had to be a one-dayer because of no Test match, then so be it.”

But such matches are not without risk, as former Test wicketkeeper, and eventual captain, Tim Paine knows. Paine missed seven years of international cricket after breaking his finger in an exhibition game for the Australian Cricketers’ Association All-Stars in 2010 against an Aussie fans’ XI.

A CA spokesperson said of the first Ashes Test: “It was disappointing that fans who held day three and four tickets for the NRMA Insurance West Test and who had travelled to Perth for the game did not get to see any action.

“The overall interest in the Test was fantastic, including a record crowd for any Test match played at Perth Stadium in just two days and an average audience of 2.3 million viewers watching the final session on Saturday.

“The impact Travis Head’s and Mitch Starc’s heroics in Perth have on interest in the rest of the series and on kids playing and watching cricket will be immense.”

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.