Poor MCG crowd representative of T20 lull, but it's not doomsday

The entire Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground closed for tonight's fourth T20I between Australia and Sri Lanka.

A meager crowd of just 13,175 showed up to the ground, boosted by a predominantly pro-Sri Lanka crowd.

That followed a figure of 6,305 fans who ventured to the Sydney Cricket Ground last Sunday night for game two.

One Day cricket experienced a similar malaise during the 1990s in Australia and the T20 format may simply be following suit. But it is not a doomsday scenario, it simply offers new avenues to innovate.

The embarrassingly small number of people who showed up to their respective fixtures in the hope of seeing a quality product is concerning. It is also indicative of the format's 'highlights-only' aura.

Perhaps it is symbolic of the simple proposition that T20 cricket is becoming uninteresting, boring and uninspiring for the Australian public.

But the major kick is the T20 format's sticking around due to its viability as a cash cow for both international fixtures and numerous domestic tournaments around the world.

Is T20 cricket only there for money?

Its popularity rose off the back of more; more sixes, more fixtures, more entertainment and more 'excitement'.

The plan could be argued as short-sighted, short-visioned and what was feared from the outset; astronomical financial benefits for administrators and organizing bodies at the expense of more refined and traditional aspects of cricket.

Simply put, satisfying a good TV product that attracts the dollar could be mistaken for the only goal that is drafted at board meetings.

But the fact of the matter is, a crowd figure of five to fifteen thousand people would be much better suited as a television product in a regional stadium, all the while taking the T20 format to populations who are missing out on international cricket.

What can be done?

Despite all the tricks in the broadcast toolkit, the vast swathes of bleak, empty seats were simply too difficult to hide. Current Big Bash League crowds have also declined by 39% from 2016 to 2020.

Game three of the ongoing series was played at the much smaller Manuka Oval in Canberra. Even though only 2000 spectators showed up on the ground, it could be argued that it didn't detract from the match's broadcast attractability.

Games can be played in towns like Cairns, Darwin, Coffs Harbour, Albury, Ballarat or Launceston, just like other sporting leagues in Australia, namely the Australian Football League and National Rugby League.