Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (21:20): (2261) I rise this evening to raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events concerning Victoria’s engagement with India through sport and in particular the missed opportunity when it comes to women’s cricket. The fact that Victoria missed out on or did not actually pursue hosting the women’s international cricket team for their 2026 tour I think is the biggest stuff-up since Labor’s cancellation of the Commonwealth Games when it comes to tourism to this state. Victoria rightly places enormous emphasis on cricket and on the MCG as global assets. Cricket is central to our state’s sporting identity, and it is also the cornerstone of Victoria’s broader Indian strategy, both in terms of soft diplomacy and in attracting Indian tourists, students and business investment.

However, recent scheduling decisions raise legitimate questions. At a time when Labor spent almost $600 million to cancel the Commonwealth Games and should be seeking alternative ways to support sport, international cricket should have been leveraged more strategically. Matches involving India should have been taken to regional centres, driving tourism, hotel stays and local spending while strengthening international relationships. There has been no comparable effort, compared to the men’s teams, to attract the women’s team to Victoria – a massive lost opportunity. Even Hobart got not one but two back-to-back matches of the women’s international cricket team. I understand Melbourne’s MCG and Marvel Stadium had scheduling conflicts due to football, but what about all those regional stadiums and grounds that were meant to be used for the 2026 Commonwealth Games? You would have had those stadiums packed with Indian tourists there to see the Indian women’s team play cricket.

I seek the action of the minister to outline what steps are being taken to ensure women’s international cricket, particularly involving India, is actively pursued, promoted and, where possible, taken into regional Victoria for the benefit of our communities across the state. It is not good enough to just pursue the men’s team. It is absolutely embarrassing that Hobart gets not one but two games and Victoria gets none. We have missed out. As I said, this is the biggest stuff-up in terms of tourism and investment since Labor’s cancellation of the Commonwealth Games.