The Gabba’s pitch to live on at Brisbane Stadium

• The Crisafulli Government acts to protect Queensland’s international cricket calendar and legacy beyond 2032.
• World-first hybrid wicket model will see The Gabba’s legacy live on at new Brisbane Stadium.
• Hybrid wicket will allow Brisbane Stadium to host international cricket from first cricket season.
• The Crisafulli Government is delivering for 2032 and beyond, to make Queensland Australia’s events capital. 

The Crisafulli Government will deliver a world-first hybrid pitch at the new Brisbane Stadium to see The Gabba’s pitch live on, well beyond 2032. 

Contemporary wicket infrastructure will be developed and tested at The Gabba before being transferred to the new Brisbane Stadium, ensuring the unique characteristics and the DNA of ‘The Gabbatoir’ continues to haunt the Poms well into the future.  

In the coming weeks, a tray will be installed alongside the famous existing in-situ wicket block at The Gabba where it will be curated and trialled in the lead up to 2032. 

The new wicket will use the same dimensions, clay base, soil and turf as the existing Gabba wicket ensuring proven, international-standard wickets are available for immediate use. 

Importantly, this is the first step towards a world-leading hybrid wicket model at the new Brisbane Stadium which will see the new contemporary wicket exist alongside in-situ wickets which will also be transferred from The Gabba once decommissioned. 

This is part of Crisafulli Government’s plan to make Queensland the home of sport in Australia and the events capital of the country, delivering a world-class stadium capable of hosting more major sporting events, more often.  

The former Labor Government had no plan to keep cricket in Brisbane, expecting cricket and the AFL to pay to play at the RNA Showgrounds with no preprepared pitch.  

Wicket timeline: 

• 2026: A full-sized wicket tray will be installed at The Gabba alongside the existing wicket block in September. 
• 2027-28: The new wicket will be monitored and trialled during practice, intra-squad and lower-profile domestic matches.
• 2028-29: The wicket will be tested under First-Class cricket conditions.
• 2032: Following the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the contemporary wicket will be transferred to Brisbane Stadium.
• 2032-33: The wicket is expected to be ready to support the first international cricket season at Brisbane Stadium.  

Premier David Crisafulli said the world-leading technology would allow Queensland to continue the legacy of The Gabba for years to come.  

“I believe the cricket ghosts of The GABBA should live on at Victoria Park and keep terrorising the Poms for years to come,” Premier Crisafulli said. 

“International cricket has always been synonymous with Queensland summer, but we risk losing that for nearly half a decade, unless we act now. 

“This plan is essential to ensuring Queensland can continue to host cricket at The Gabba up to and including 2032 and then relocate to the new Brisbane Stadium in readiness for the 2032-33 international cricket seasons. 

“There’s nothing like the GABBA deck anywhere else in the world, and I hope the Poms hate playing at Brisbane Stadium as much as they do at the Gabba.” 

Minister for Sport and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander said the decision reflected the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to deliver a truly world-class stadium, that could support a wider range and frequency of major events. 

“We want to ensure The Gabba’s cricketing legacy lives on well beyond 2032 and this plan will ensure that happens,” Minister Mander said. 

“Installing contemporary wicket infrastructure at The Gabba now will allow it to be tested and refined over several years, before being installed at Brisbane Stadium at the end of Brisbane 2032, allowing us to move straight into hosting Test matches. 

“We’re also determined to ensure Queensland is the home of sport in Australia, cricket plays a big part in that.” 

Stadiums Queensland CEO Todd Harris said the organisation was well-placed to deliver the infrastructure.  

“Our Head Groundsman at The Gabba has curated world-class wicket infrastructure throughout his esteemed career, including similar infrastructure at the MCG, so these wickets will benefit from expert and experienced hands and tested under top competition conditions,” Mr Harris said 

“Under his leadership, our team have also consulted cricket experts from across Australia and New Zealand. 

“Transferring proven wickets between Test venues has never been done before, but ingenuity is needed, now, to ensure we don’t miss out on international cricket until 2035-36.” 

The Gabba Grounds Manager David Sandurski said he was invested in preserving the unique history and cricket characteristics of The Gabba.  

“It’s important we get this right, so we’ve explored a range of wicket block practices and technologies at venues across Australia and New Zealand, including the critical elements like tray design, clay type and depth, and turfing method,” Mr Sandurksi said.   

“The new wicket will replicate both the dimensions of existing wickets and the make-up, with the same clay base, soil and turf, so we’ll be looking to refine it over time to reproduce the same pace and bounce The Gabba is famous for.” 

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Meg Sydes, 0448 114 869