David Warner has hit out at the poor attendances in the ongoing Test series between South Africa and Australia, branding them “pathetic”.
The series between the first- and second-ranked Test teams in the world should be a marquee affair but the crowd for the opening match at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban was paltry. A total of just under 20,000 fans attended an enthralling encounter across the five days, amounting to less than a fifth of the ground’s capacity.
South Africa ultimately lost that match by 214 runs despite making a blistering start and attendances don’t appear to have picked up during the first two rain-affected days of the the second Test in Gqeberha.
And former Australia opening batter Warner hasn’t held back in criticism of the turnout, lambasting the thousands of empty seats.
“We keep hearing how important Test cricket is, but where are the fans in South Africa?” asked Warner in a post on social media.
“Empty stands, no atmosphere, and we’re supposed to believe the format is thriving? You can’t keep calling Test cricket the pinnacle of the game if no one turns up to watch it.
“Harsh reality, but someone has to say it. Pathetic.”
The sparse crowds at the first Test have prompted a “thorough internal review” into the circumstances by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU) in an effort to improve things in the future.
“A Test match of this quality, featuring the Proteas and Australia, deserved greater support in the stands,” said Heinrich Strydom, CEO of the KZNCU in a statement.
“While we recognise that supporters face competing demands on their time and finances, we must also understand better what influences their decisions to attend and what more we can do to make live cricket an attractive and worthwhile experience.
“This is something we will reflect on as a union, through a thorough internal review, and as a cricket community. We need to listen to our supporters, reconnect with our communities, and continue to find ways to make Test cricket more accessible, engaging and appealing to families and cricket lovers of all ages.”
The series even has added spice given it is Australia’s first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous ‘sandpapergate’ scandal of 2018, where then-vice-captain Warner was a key figure in the plot to illegally change the condition of the ball.
He was deemed to have led the scheme and guided Cameron Bancroft on how to use the sandpaper, earning him a one-year ban and being told he would never be considered for a leadership position within the team again.
Given that background, Sky Sports pundit Michael Atherton was even more concerned by the attendances.
"It started on a Friday, was played over the weekend,” Atherton said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. “It’s the number one and number two ranked teams in the world, the first Test match at home for South Africa since becoming world champions.
“Plus there was all the context of it being the first Test between these two in South Africa since the infamous 2018 series. If you can’t drag a crowd in given that context, it’s a worrying sign.”
However, Australia captain Pat Cummins seemed resigned to the situation when asked about the poor crowds following the first Test.
“It’s one of those quirks when you tour overseas,” said Cummins. “Even in a place like India, you have lots of people watching but not necessarily at the ground.
“I personally enjoyed it last week. It was quite calm. Lots of Aussie tour groups, which is nice. But, of course, ideally you’re playing in front of bigger crowds.”