Twitter
Advertisement

Iconic stadium in Perth set to make way for new stadium; may not host Test matches post 2018

A day after he scaled the peak called 'Mount 100 Centuries' in Dhaka three years ago, Sachin Tendulkar was asked to list out his five best hundreds. Without any hesitation, the batting maestro uttered the following words, "Perth, I think, has to be right up there. (114 vs Australia)"

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

A day after he scaled the peak called 'Mount 100 Centuries' in Dhaka three years ago, Sachin Tendulkar was asked to list out his five best hundreds. Without any hesitation, the batting maestro uttered the following words, "Perth, I think, has to be right up there. (114 vs Australia)"

Essayed on a pitch regarded as the bounciest and liveliest until a few years ago, the 1992 classic marked the coming of age of a 19-year-old Tendulkar. So much so that it that prompted the inimitable Merv 'Handlebar' Hughes to say this to skipper Allan Border, "This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB."

Tendulkar proved Hughes — and all of us — right by accumulating more runs and more tons than any other man to have played international cricket. But he would be disappointed to know that the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, better known as the WACA, may not host Test cricket from 2018.

The iconic venue, a fortress that has seen Australia win 24 out of 41 Test matches, is all set to make way for the new 'Perth Stadium'. The construction of the same commenced on December 7, 2014, in the nearby suburb of Burswood.

The 60,000-seat arena promises to be "a world-class multi-purpose venue capable of hosting a range of events, including all forms of cricket". And it will have four drop-in pitches "to replicate the character of the WACA wicket". Spectators will be able to access the new Perth Stadium and Sports Precinct via a number of pedestrian bridges across the Swan River.

The operative phrases are 'world-class', 'multi-purpose' and 'fans first'. And over the years, the WACA has ceased to tick these boxes. The stadium that has borne witness to the feats of Lillee and Thomson, McDermott and Hughes, McGrath and Lee, as well as the fired-up Indian team bitten by the Monkeygate scandal in 2008, will have to make do with Sheffield Shield and minor cricket. Inevitably, all mega events like Ashes Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 games will be moved to the New Perth Stadium, being built by the government of Western Australia and situated on the other side of the Swan River.

The site of the A$500-million Perth Stadium, which dna visited recently, was a hotbed of activity. Huge cranes, forklifts and iron and steel pillars made their presence felt. Incredibly, the height of the colosseum-style bowl will match that of the light towers of the WACA, which is visible from the site. Slowly but surely, Perth Stadium will engulf the WACA, both literally and figuratively. The venue, which will be devoid of light towers, is expected to be fully operational for the start of the 2018 Australian Football League season. It will also play host to soccer (football) and rugby (union and league) contests.

It may be recalled that the WACA was overlooked as a venue for the four-match Test series against India this time due to its poor facilities and small capacity (around 20,000). It hosted the India vs the UAE World Cup match on Saturday and is set to host two more (Australia vs Afghanistan, India vs the West Indies). However, there won't be any knockout matches played there.

Over the years, venues like the Adelaide Oval (owned by the South Australia Cricket Association) have received radical but stunning facelifts. The Western Australia Cricket Association, which is headed by Lillee, has lagged behind on this front. In a country boasting state-of-the-art sports precincts, Perth's No. 1 cricket ground is unfortunately an outdated facility. But it has a soul like no other.

 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement