Capacity, not Indian conspiracy, behind Perth axing from 2014 India Test circuit

Cricket Australia (CA) has reportedly dismissed reports that an Indian conspiracy was behind the axing of Perth from the Test circuit when India tours next summer, and indicated that the city lost out as its Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) Ground has the smallest capacity of the mainland Test venues.

India's visit in 2014-15 will comprise only four Tests because of a squeeze created by the 2015 World Cup, which will be staged in Australia for the first time since 1992, and a tri-series involving India and England before the global event.

The report said that the Gabba, where Australia has not been beaten for 25 years, has traditionally hosted the first Test of the summer and consistently drawn larger crowds than Perth.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, CA chief executive James Sutherland dismissed as 'laughable' rumours that the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was behind the decision to axe Perth from the list, as suggested by former Test player and Western Australia (WA) coach Justin Langer

Stating that WA has to make sure that they are not ignored by CA next time, Langer had questioned the wisdom of excluding Perth from the Test circuit just because it is allegedly disliked by India given that they were defeated by an innings and 37 runs within three days at the WACA Ground in January last year.

Although the WACA had announced a 250 million-dollar redevelopment plan for the ground to increase its capacity from about 22,000 to 30,000, construction has not yet started, with the report adding that the building is due to commence after the coming international season.