The well-renowned Australian stadium Gabba is all set to be demolished after the 2032 Olympics with a new 60,000-seater ground set to be built in Victoria Park for the Olympics.
The historic venue has hosted several memorable Test matches, however, it will be knocked down after the 2032 Olympics. This comes after Queensland's premier David Crisafulli announced the Olympic infrastructure plans. The Gabba has been guaranteed international matches until the next men's Ashes.
"This decision gives us certainty about venues and scheduling which in turn allows us to ensure Brisbane hosts the very best possible international and domestic cricket," CA said in a statement. "We strongly advocated building a stadium in Victoria Park together with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and Brisbane Lions, and cricket will play a major role in ensuring this significant investment delivers long-term benefits for cricket fans and the people of Queensland.
"On behalf of the cricket community we want to thank the Queensland Government for seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the fans, the city and the state the stadium they deserve," it added.
Cricket will be played in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, as the sport returns to the biggest multi-sporting arena after being hosted for the only time in 1900. If the sport is retained on the disciplines list for the 2032 Games, Gabba and Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Arena will host the cricket matches.
"Wouldn't it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic final? The Gabba's swansong," Crisafulli said.
The Queensland premier added that the choice was between spending a heavy chunk of money or building a new stadium while keeping the legacy and future in mind. "The Gabba is at its end of life," Crisafulli said. "It hasn't been well maintained, and we do need a stadium to host this great show, and there is an opportunity for legacy play.
"It became a choice between spending billions on temporary facilities and temporary stands that delivered no legacy, or securing the future of AFL [and] cricket at a new home," he said.
The venue was initially in line to be demolished and rebuilt under the Labor government for the 2032 Games for A$2.7 billion. However, that was put aside due to the rising costs. It was then thought to be facelifted for $600 million but the plan was abandoned.
Queensland Cricket chief executive Terry Svenson highlighted that the new venue will provide opportunities for the future. "The Gabba has been a wonderful venue for cricket for many years and has provided fans and players with countless memories - however the challenges the stadium faces are well documented, and we need to look to the future," chief executive Terry Svenson said.
"There is now the opportunity for Queensland to attract the world's best cricket events, such as ICC events, men's and women's Ashes Series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, as well has hosting the BBL and WBBL in a new purpose-built stadium," he added.