Scheduling For Dummies
AJ joins us
Andrew Jones has been known to Et Al for twenty-odd years, in which he’s had a storied career in sports administration, including spells as strategy director at Cricket Australia and CEO of Cricket New South Wales. He’s now the principal of a sports consultancy, the Killer Group. We don’t always agree, but I’ve a lot of respect for his sharp mind, his genuine love of the game, and his punchy style of communication - as reflected in this primer, which I cited a few days ago, making the case against private investment in the Big Bash League. Here he amplifies this argument by reference to this summer’s schedule.
“2026-27 Summer of Cricket locked in at the SCG”.
I don’t open marketing emails often, but that one from the SCG Trust was an exception. My summers have been built around the Sydney Test since 1993-94. I missed Brian Lara making 277 in 1992-93. Lesson learned.
Imagine my surprise to learn that next year’s Test, a day game, is scheduled to run from MONDAY TO FRIDAY.
10.30-5.30pm each day.
Whose idea was that?
To put the most lucrative Test of the year, in the biggest city in Australia, exactly coincident with the typical working week.
Sure, many people are on leave from 4-8 January. But plenty won’t be. And plenty will be away, starting that day. It’s the worst piece of sports scheduling since vacating Australia Day.
Wait, did cricket do that too? Last year?
The first principle of sports management – that is, management of the business of sport – is to understand what the business is. It is, at its core, a television show with a live audience. It is monetised via media rights, sponsorship, ticket sales, hospitality and, increasingly, wagering. Each is maximised by maximising the audience. Which, in sport, means maximising the live audience. Which means you need to put the show on when people are available to watch it. Which means when they are not at work! If there were a handbook entitled “Sports Scheduling for Dummies” this would be on page 1.
Page 2 would have “where possible, keep the same date every year”. This principle has been violated in Sydney repeatedly too, with the traditional New Year start date pushed back to the 2, 3 and now 4 January over time. This is unnecessary, and short-sighted. There is a reason the Boxing Day Test is the best-attended Test of the year.
Wait, two reasons. Everybody knows when it is on, so they can plan accordingly.
And just about everybody, other than those in retail, hospitality, tourism and essential services, is not at work. Are we getting the picture?
I have been vocal about the shortsightedness of CA’s proposal to sell the BBL. It suggests to me a lack of understanding of the basics of sports strategy. Private owners have different incentives to CA. They want to make money out of a global T20 business.
Cricket Australia wants (or is supposed to want) to grow the game in Australia, across Test, BBL and all the other formats, men’s and women’s. They need to manage a portfolio of formats, dates and venues. To do that they need to maintain control of the schedule. So it can be optimised for the benefit of fans, hence the sport.
If CA can’t get the little – and obvious – scheduling right, like the dates for the Sydney Test, why would cricket fans think they are getting it right proposing to sell our game?Next thing you know they’ll propose moving the Boxing Day and Sydney Tests to make way for the BBL.
Wait a second, that’s already been proposed!
Sensible as always, AJ.
Incidentally, I was at the SCG the day Lara made that 277. It was a slow day at work, and two colleagues strolled into my office and said they were going to go to the Test. But when it came time to leave, they said something had come up, and they had to stay in the office. Thinking nothing of it, I went out and watched Lara bash Australia around. When I got home (no mobiles in those days), the phone rang, and someone asked me if it was true that my firm had retrenched 32 lawyers that day. I went back to the office and it was true - 20% of the staff had been sacked, including the two who were about to head off to the cricket. So I remember the day well, but not necessarily for Lara.
But that's not important right now...
Selling off the BBL is important. CA is a not-for-profit organisation charged with the maintenance and development of the game. How selling off part of the game for cash fits in with that mission is beyond me. "The money will go back into the game". No, it won't. A bunch of executives will get bonuses, a handful of players will get big windfalls and the rest will evaporate pretty rapidly. And the people who buy in will want, justifiably enough, more say in what happens. CA's job is to run cricket: if it outsources that, why is it there?
I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt about the Sydney Test as they may want to give the players enough time before the Indian tour. If it’s just to accommodate BBL…
What concerns me about the sale is that it seems all we hear are people arguing over how much of the pie they’ll get, not what the pie looks like!
Who will control the summer schedule? Will Pakistani and Bangladesh players be allowed?Etc etc
Given the distinct lack of information about this sale, it’s no surprise we know so little.
Greenberg’s appearance on the Grade Cricketer was a disgrace. Laugh laugh we need to give the cricket public information, that’s why I’m here. Oh but I didn’t prepare for this interview ha ha ha.
What’s the next job he’ll stumble up into?