Allan Border backs The Gabba demolition amid uncertainty surrounding iconic venue

Legendary Australian cricketer Allan Border has backed the growing campaign to demolish the iconic Gabba Stadium in Brisbane to replace it with a new state-of-the-art venue. Allan Border stated that the new stadium would better accommodate cricket, rugby, Aussie rules, and the 2032 Olympic Games.

The Gabba's future is uncertain, with Cricket Australia possibly excluding Queensland from its Test match plans after the 2025/26 Ashes series. According to the Courier Mail, Cricket Australia is considering a seven-year schedule for Tests in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide until the 2030-31 season.

The Gabba Becomes Housing - Allan Border

The Gabba is likely to be missing from Cricket Australia's Test match schedule. Allan Border suggested demolishing the Gabba and constructing a 60,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park, which could better cater to multiple sports and the 2032 Olympic Games.

“I’d be knocking down the Gabba and building a new venue from scratch at Victoria Park. A brand new 60,000-seat stadium suits rugby, cricket, Aussie rules, and the Olympics, and the Gabba becomes housing," Border told the Queensland masthead.

“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,” Border added.

Plans to demolish and upgrade the 129-year-old Gabba have been under discussion for some time. The Queensland government recently rejected two proposals for the Gabba Stadium. They turned down a $2.7 billion plan to rebuild the venue and a $3.4 billion plan to construct a new stadium at Victoria Park.

They have opted to invest $2.7 billion in upgrading the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, Suncorp Stadium, and the Gabba instead of building a new venue. They have faced criticism from the sporting community, with many arguing that Australia needs a more comprehensive plan to prepare for the Olympics.

They Haven't Got Any Certainty About The Gabba - Allan Border

Allan Border was honored with a bronze statue at the Gabba. The former Australian captain said that Cricket Australia can't be blamed for excluding the venue from future games. Border highlighted that CA needs to have clear plans over the next four years to determine if the Gabba can be used.

"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,” Border said in the same interaction.

The Gabba was considered "The Fortress" for Australia in Test cricket for many decades until Team India ended a 32-year unbeaten streak in 2021. Australia has played 66 Test matches at the venue. The home team won 42, lost 10, drew 13, and tied 1.

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