The 21-minute grilling of the MCG curator and his boss: A Cricket Match's Unforeseen Turn
The Unforeseen Press Conference
It's never a good sign when the curator of a cricket pitch fronts a press conference, beamed live on national television, at 9.01 am on what should have been day three of the Boxing Day Test. The MCG curator, Matt Page, and his boss, MCC chief executive Stuart Fox, emerged from the empty stadium, their slow walk towards dozens of journalists, cameras, and photographers saying it all. With expressions more befitting a funeral, they prepared to own the situation.
A Political Scene Reminiscent of Cricket
It felt more like a scene from Australian politics than cricket, reminiscent of Anthony Albanese striding into the prime minister's courtyard in Canberra to tackle a major issue. Instead, this press conference was convened to discuss a grassy pitch under fire, announced by Cricket Australia 68 minutes after the final delivery of England's victory in the fourth Ashes Test.
A Two-Day Test: A Big Deal
A two-day Test, the first at the MCG in 94 years, is a big deal. Fox began, with Page to his left, wearing an MCC polo shirt tucked into long trousers. They were disappointed the Test had finished within two days, and they didn't plan for it. They didn't want this to happen, and it was challenging times for them.
The 21-Minute Grilling
What followed was a 21-minute grilling about the length of grass on a 20-metre cricket pitch. There were 25 mentions of the 'disappointment' and the 'disappointing' events of a whirlwind 48 hours, and repeated references to a surface that, in hindsight, was a few millimetres too furry. Fine margins.
Taking Responsibility
Page admitted he was 'a bit flat' and they would learn from this and get better from it. Fox said they had to take responsibility, and that's why they were standing there. Page, appointed MCG curator in 2017, said he doesn't read newspapers or watch nightly news bulletins, but he knew the events of Friday and Saturday would create blowback.
A Curious Audience
As Page faced the music, curious Australian cricket fans hovered around to listen. There were 90,000 other fans throughout the city with little to do. It says a lot about Page and Fox that they were happy to take as many questions as required.
Good News Emerged
By the 18-minute mark of Sunday's media conference, good news emerged. Not only were the media offered free pies, but perishables would be donated to SecondBite, an MCC charity partner. By 9.22 am, the formalities were finished, and Page and Fox walked away with a 10 out of 10 rating for fronting up and answering the difficult questions.
A Bizarre Scene
A few hundred metres away, Australian players began arriving at a fan activation zone, asked by CA chief executive Todd Greenberg to give an hour of their time. It was a bizarre scene: Greenberg greeted players as they arrived, alongside CA chairman Mike Baird and other executives, while Travis Head sipped a Gatorade. An English journalist told Greenberg this never would happen in the UK the day after a Test.
Atoning for the Defeat
Australia's players get to atone for the MCG defeat in Sydney, starting next Sunday. But Page and his team will have to wait 12 months.
