The first Test in Durban witnessed fewer than 20,000 fans across the five days, less than a fifth of Kingsmead’s capacity. During the proceedings on Day 3, former Australia captain David Warner questioned the lack of attendance at the venue despite South Africa forging a strong comeback. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has called for free tickets for Test matches at venues that are unable to fill the stands, amid low turnout in the ongoing Test series between South Africa and England. The second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha has also seen large sections of the stands remain empty.
There is no way that Durban and PE have made enough money off ticket sales to justify no one there watching,” said Pietersen. “Call me old fashioned but I don’t like players’ names and numbers on their back in Test cricket,” he wrote in another post. Following the lower turnout in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU) had stated that they would conduct a “thorough internal review” to find the reasons for the low turnout.
Taking to X, Pietersen suggested that boards should make enough money from franchise cricket, while also questioning whether ticket sales alone justify the sparse turnout during Test matches. “Test cricket in places that struggle for crowds should be FREE to enter! Boards should make their money off their franchise tournaments. Pietersen also expressed his disagreement with the notion of players wearing names and numbers on the back of their jerseys in Test cricket.
