Why are test crowds so poor around the world?

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Watching two tests from overseas recently and there was a great crowd at the England-Pakistan game and a pitiful crowd at the first day of the West Indies-India game (admittedly a weekday).

It seems around the world that there are really on decent crowds in Australia and England. I'm even surprised at times by average crowds in India.

What are the reasons?

Is it pricing? I remember hearing some ridiculous stuff like a ticket to one test in the Caribbean costing the equivalent of one months average wage and a test in India where the public could only buy a five day pass. Are the administrators to blame?

Is it spectator facilities? Eg have some countries ever heard of shade?

Have England and Australia better managed to turn test cricket into a social event?

 

[Wolfs]

Because England, NZ and Australia's average wage earner could afford tickets. People in the Windies, Sri Lanka, India, B'desh and South Africa really don't have the money for it. Plus it is on times when people have to work. Also UAE everyone works until night.

If tickets were cheaper and matches started later then maybe increase in crowds.

 

[ioppolo]

A ticket in Australia is a few hours work for the average joe. India is about a weeks wages. $1000+ for tickets would be the equivalent.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Ticket prices doesn't explain why people find it within themselves to attend Twenty20s and ODIs.

Think the format simply isn't that popular outside Australia and England. Nobody else has an equivalent of the Ashes and there isn't a world championship to think about.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

They often aren't great here either, Melbourne and Sydney have the advantage of people being in holiday mode. Hobart, Perth, Brisbane Tests are often poorly attended - outside of Ashes and whoever is near the top of the tree at the time. Hobart being a small city still gets a per capita crowd similar to other cities. And in England the venues are packed v Australia, India or Pakistan; but the venue capacities vary between roughly equivalent to Bellerive and the WACA.

And in the Carribean, there simply isn't a big population to begin with. Many of the nations have populations less than that of Adelaide. Obviously that's not an issue everywhere, but for West Indies it is.

Test cricket takes time though. That's the real thing. Four or five days for a result is something few people are willing to do, compared to 4 hours for a T20. I'm not sure four day tests would help in that regard, is four nine hour days any better than five seven hour days?
And it moves slower. It doesn't have the easy to see appeal of big hit after big hit. To truly appreciate Test cricket takes commitment beyond what many are prepared (or able) to give. When there was nothing else, people had little choice. Now, with choice, people are (sadly IMO) choosing the easily digestible format.

The lack of a championship is also an issue, and not one that is easily resolved. The #1 ranking is complex mathematics. Its hard to follow, or be sure it is truly fair. I've posted my version of a simplified championship on here before, to mostly negative reviews (ah, well).
It has to be said though that ODIs outside the World Cup have no context either and still manage to get crowds. Those crowds have dropped a bit, so maybe they might stop drawing people if there were more international T20s.

 

[Walt Kowalski]

Tix to days 3, 4 and 5 of any test in Australia not involving India or England should be no more than $20 per head. Kids should be $5 any day with a paying adult.

 

[Kram]

Ticket prices doesn't explain why people find it within themselves to attend Twenty20s and ODIs.

Those are played more on weekends and or at night?

Start a T20 at 11am on a Thursday and see what the crowd is like..

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Starting this test on a Tuesday ensuring that the bulk, if not all, of the test is played during the working week.

Baffling.

In Australia and England they start tests on Fridays usually, or Thursdays at the absolute earliest.

 

[Sammo360]

Test Cricket returns to Zimbabwe tomorrow for the first time since 2014, it will be interesting to see the crowd numbers. Hopefully they don't go the way of Sri Lanka and the Windies.
Ticket prices are good at Bulawayo. You can get in for $2! $3 for the grandstand.

 

[The_Reaper]

Zimbabwe as a county is having a lot of problems (even more than normal) at the moment

 

[Wallaby]

Because Test Cricket is often very boring to watch. That has always been the major problem.

Test cricket is fascinating. A lot of people (myself included) will pay attention to it closely, watch some on tv, have the radio going in the background all day, but have no interest in devoting 7+ hours in a day to watching what may turn out to be some defensive batting or bowling. The narrative of test cricket is terrific - when you study a game afterwards, the key moments stand out (sometimes they are key hours or whole sessions), players performance's get put into perspective, and it's great. But it's not always obvious watching live. I haven't been to a day of test cricket in years.

It's like continental drift - amazing science, formation of continental landmasses, rise of the Himalayas, vulcanism, earthquakes, effect on animal species - a great story, but pretty dull in real time.

Having said all that, a close test match finish (ie: 10 to make and the last man in) IS the most tense and exciting sporting event you can watch. Nothing gets the heart rate pumping like it.

 

[Carl Hooper]

It's simple... Look at the 20/20 crowds. No problem there. Pricing ain't an issue imo

20/20 has killed cricket

 

[Belnakor]

TBH unless you are sitting behind the wicket going to a test match isn't actually that good. Alot of the time you can't see the ball and the context of the shots isn't great either. Cricket is made for watching on TV, particularly test cricket.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

It's simple... Look at the 20/20 crowds. No problem there. Pricing ain't an issue imo

20/20 has killed cricket

Australia and England have Twenty20 and still get good test match crowds

 

[Carl Hooper]

Australia and England have Twenty20 and still get good test match crowds

Huh? Apart from the ashes, our test crowds are pretty average

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Huh? Apart from the ashes, our test crowds are pretty average

Compared to whose?

 

[t_94]

Uncompetitive teams - Sri Lanka and W.I. are a huge worry at present, South Africa could be next, ticket pricing, and the fact that less and less people are willing to put aside a whole day to watch sport.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Test Cricket returns to Zimbabwe tomorrow for the first time since 2014, it will be interesting to see the crowd numbers. Hopefully they don't go the way of Sri Lanka and the Windies.
Ticket prices are good at Bulawayo. You can get in for $2! $3 for the grandstand.

How many people outside Mugabe's chosen few have $2? Much less a spare $2.

 

[ioppolo]

Zimbabwe got decent test crowds when Pakistan last toured from memory?

 

[freddy mercury]

Tickets between Aus and Sri Lanka are only $27 AU

 

[Andrew Mc]

Tickets between Aus and Sri Lanka are only $27 AU

How much is $27 for the average SL'er though? I suspect it's a reasonable chunk.

 

[Tigerssaints]

I have been a member of Tasmania cricket association for 25 yrs
A last years AGM, they told us Cricket Australia Income from "the gate" represents only 10% of its revenue !!( rest from tv rights ,sponsorship's etc)
We don't get any domestic one dayer's in Hobart , and entry to shield cricket is free.( leave the cash cow 20/20 alone)
i believe its time to provide free entry to test as well, esp where its failing, or cost of entry is prohibited .
You could also have special sponsors days ,especially if the stadiums are full

 

[freddy mercury]

I have been a member of Tasmania cricket association for 25 yrs
A last years AGM, they told us Cricket Australia Income from "the gate" represents only 10% of its revenue !!( rest from tv rights ,sponsorship's etc)
We don't get any domestic one dayer's in Hobart , and entry to shield cricket is free.( leave the cash cow 20/20 alone)
i believe its time to provide free entry to test as well, esp where its failing, or cost of entry is prohibited .
You could also have special sponsors days ,especially if the stadiums are full

I remember back in high school days you used to be able to enter all domestic cricket at the MCG with a valid Metcard ticket.

 

[ioppolo]

Tickets between Aus and Sri Lanka are only $27 AU

'Only'

You realize the average Lankan wage is considerably smaller than the average Aussie yeah?

 

[No_One]

Because England, NZ and Australia's average wage earner could afford tickets. People in the Windies, Sri Lanka, India, B'desh and South Africa really don't have the money for it. Plus it is on times when people have to work. Also UAE everyone works until night.

If tickets were cheaper and matches started later then maybe increase in crowds.

Bullsh** man
I watched India vs Aus in 2012 and vs SA in 2015 @Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi for INR 200 (~$3) with the cheapest ticket being sold for INR 100.