‘Don’t necessarily need a crowd’ – Ian Chappell reflects on spectator-less SCG
At a time when cricket has been put on hold amid the coronavirus covid-19 outbreak, former Australia captain Ian Chappell has said that the game doesn’t always need huge crowds in big grounds, such as the Sydney Cricket Ground, to produce thrill.
Chappell likened the current situation to the dark times during the two World Wars, when games remained suspended for years. With the virus outbreak, several mainstream tournaments were set to be played behind closed doors, with no spectators in the ground. Ultimately, almost all of them were postponed.
“I’m one who believes you don’t necessarily need a crowd to be spurred on as a sportsman; it’s the thrill of a close contest that gets the juices flowing,” Chappell said in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
The Black Caps will fly back home to New Zealand on Saturday evening.#COVID19https://t.co/xvKhh44eUr
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 14, 2020
The first game of the now suspended ODI series between Australia and New Zealand was played at the SCG with no spectators, just a week after the Melbourne Cricket Ground recorded the highest audience ever for women’s cricket in the world.
With players donning retro kits in the first game of the men’s home summer, the game was supposed to be a spectator’s delight, but ended up being played in eerie silence.
“Nevertheless, it was a strange silence that accompanied scintillating boundaries and landmark scores at the SCG,” Chappell said. “The upside was the absence of mindless chatter over the PA system; it was good to enjoy a game of cricket where you could hear yourself think.”
Ian Chappell believes the spectator-less cricket can still produce thrill, like at the SCG
The game turned out to be one of the last international matches to be played before the cricketing calendar descended into limbo; players from either side cautiously went about their business, shunning handshakes and close contact.
“The finish provided another unusual sight: the opponents didn’t shake hands or hug, but acknowledged each other in a variety of different ways from the recommended safe distance of a couple of metres.
“These are indeed strange and difficult times but the main priority is to stay healthy – a worthwhile objective.”
