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Former Australia captain Allan Border has called for The Gabba cricket ground in Brisbane to be demolished and replaced with a new multi-sport stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics.
The Gabba, known as a stronghold for Australia, was the site of India’s historic 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series win in January 2021. However, the Queensland government recently scrapped a $2.7 billion plan to demolish and rebuild the Gabba for the Olympic Games.
The government has invested in upgrading QSAC, Suncorp Stadium, and The Gabba, instead of demolishing The Gabba. Allan Border suggested building a new 60,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park for multiple sports and using The Gabba site for housing.
A $3.4 billion proposal for a new stadium at Victoria Park was also rejected, and Brisbane may not host Test matches for the next seven years due to uncertainty.
“They haven’t got any certainty about the Gabba, so we’re off the roster. It’s sad, but they’ve got to have some certainty, probably over the next four years, if they can use the Gabba or not.
“Because we have an election coming up, nobody wants to touch the hot potato of announcing where the main venue would be. But I’ll have a crack and say knock the Gabba down for urban renewal, and because it’s on the city fringe, you could probably pay for the Olympics just by selling the property,” added Border.
Ian Healy noted that Cricket Australia is worried about Brisbane’s cricket future ahead of the October state elections. The third Test of this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India will be held at The Gabba from December 14-18.
Healy said, “After India and the Ashes, the next season there are only three Tests (against New Zealand) and we’ve missed out, as you do because the newest stadium is the Adelaide Oval that holds more than ours. Other governments are investing in that, and I think the other states are investing in a seven-year rotation and Brisbane’s stuck.
“It’s frustrating Cricket Australia because they just can’t talk to either side of our government because our state is shut down until after the election (on October 26). It’s a bit scary for our stakeholders, Cricket Australia is quite anxious about the future of Brisbane cricket. So, let’s hope we get our wicket front and centre, and Australia gets some victories.”
