MCC CEO thinks Cricket Australia would be “foolish” to sell Boxing Day Test to highest bidder

Melbourne Cricket Club CEO Stuart Fox isn’t losing any sleep over the fact that Cricket Australia may be prepared to send the Boxing Day Test to the highest bidder.

Reports emerged last week that the governing body was set to go to tender for its seven-year suite of international cricket, with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney not locked in.

Perth have previously declared interest in taking the post-Christmas Test but Fox expects the event to remain at its historical home.

Fox is also forecasting that much of the traditional Test summer will remain the same as he believes it’d be foolish to move traditional dates from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.

“Oh, look, I certainly haven't lost any sleep over it,” Fox said on SEN Sportsday.

“We've been in discussions with Cricket Australia for several months and we've got a great partnership with them.

“I mean, there's a whole lot of positive factors (to keep it in Melbourne).

“There’s history and tradition, you know the economic impact with domestic and international visitors coming to the state and into the country and the flow on effects.

“We know it's one of the best commercial returns for Cricket Australia.

“Then there's this amazing thing called capacity, you know, where you can get 270,000 people through the gates across the test.

“You'd be crazy to put that in any sort of jeopardy and I feel the same way about the Sydney Test and even in Adelaide, which is a fantastic stadium to play cricket in as well.

“I think you'd be foolish to play with that and I personally think they won't move.”

While Fox is confident the game will remain at the MCG, he does admit that there are still a few points to iron out with the government and Cricket Australia before it’s completely locked in.

“But we've got work to do with Cricket Australia and the government to work through that,” Fox said.

“I'm very comfortable with where the Test sits in the sporting landscape.

“I think it's one of the most iconic stadiums and one of the most iconic Tests.

“I think Victorians would be pretty upset if you moved it.”

Australia will take on Pakistan in this year’s Boxing Day Test at the MCG from December 26-30.