(Source X)
Former Australia captain Allan Border has urged for the ‘worn-out’ Gabba to be replaced with a new cricket stadium after the venue was excluded from hosting Test matches starting from the 2026-27 season.
On Sunday, Cricket Australia confirmed that the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests will continue at the MCG and SCG, respectively, until the 2030/31 season. The Gabba is only assured of hosting Tests for the next two years, with ongoing discussions about the future of international cricket in Queensland.
This will mark the first time since the 1976/77 season that a Test match will not be held at the Gabba in 2026/27. For now, the Gabba is scheduled to host the third Test of this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia in December, as well as the second Test of next year’s Ashes series, which will be played as a day-night fixture.
“(The Gabba) is a great Test match pitch but the actual stadium is getting a bit tired. It’s now ranked No.5 or six in the country behind others that have been rebuilt in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth — and the one in Adelaide is fantastic with the hotel right on the ground as well.”
“So the ranking is slipping. It’s a great pitch to play on but the ground is hard to get to and then when the crowd leaves a big game, with 40-50,000 people there, it’s a nightmare to get out of the place. For all those reasons, we need to knock it down and do something else,” said Border on Nine’s Today show
This update follows the Queensland government’s decision to scrap a $2.7 billion plan to demolish and rebuild the Gabba for the 2032 Olympic Games. Instead, the funds will now be allocated to upgrading the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC), Suncorp Stadium, and the Gabba itself.
Additionally, following an independent review, the Queensland government also rejected a $3.4 billion proposal to build a new oval stadium at Victoria Park for the 2032 Olympics. At the launch of CA’s Play Cricket Week, Australia captain Pat Cummins shared his thoughts on the Gabba’s declining status as a Test venue.
“We love playing at the Gabba. We’ve lost a couple of times there in the last few years, but overall our record is great. The Queensland crowds are also good, it’s always nice weather, so we like playing up there. We’ll wait and see what happens. At least the next two years are still locked away the Gabba, so we’ll work it out after that,” he said.
