Former batter David Warner has criticised the "pathetic" attendances in the ongoing Test series between South Africa and Australia. South Africa lost the first Test by 214 runs in Durban, with large sections of the Kingsmead ground empty, and crowds have not really picked up through the first two rain-affected days of the second Test in Gqeberha.
"We keep hearing how important Test cricket is, but where are the fans in South Africa?" Warner said in a social media post on Tuesday. "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."
Warner was a central figure in the infamous 'sandpapergate' scandal that dominated Australia's last tour of South Africa in 2018. As vice captain at the time, he was found to have led the plot to alter the condition of the ball, and was given a one-year ban and told he would never be considered for a leadership position again.
Following the poorly attended first Test in Durban, the Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union said it would launch a "thorough internal review" into the reasons for such sparse crowds. A total of just under 20,000 fans attended the game across five days, less than a fifth of Kingsmead's capacity. Heinrich Strydom, KZNCU CEO, said the union must better understand what influences supporters' decisions to attend.
Sky Sports' Michael Atherton was also critical of the crowds, noting that the first Test was the number one and number two ranked teams in the world and South Africa's first home Test since becoming world champions.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing