'Go back to sleep': Perth mayor whacked over bizarre MCG Test crowd sledge

Perth's lord mayor Basil Zempilas has ignited an interstate stink regarding Test cricket crowds.

The Perth Stadium attendances were roundly criticised as Australia won the first match easily against Pakistan earlier this month.

But while the massive stadium looked largely empty during play, the 59,125 people who showed up across the four days was decent enough given the opposition.

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However Melbourne beat that in one day, with 62,167 people attending Tuesday's action despite awful weather predictions which ended up washing out almost an entire session.

The MCG did look largely empty during the first session and Zempilas took to X to ask, "what's their excuse? Not like you can go to the beach?".

The comment was either a dig at Melbourne's inferior coast line or the gloomy weather associated with the Victorian capital.

Either way, the sledge was somewhat bizarre given Melbourne beat Perth's entire match attendance in a single day.

Monash councillor Stuart James pointed this out to Zempilas.

"More people turned up to the MCG with heavy rain forecast than can fit into Optus (Perth) Stadium," James tweeted.

"Also more people at day one (than) attended the entire four days of the Perth Test.

"Go back to sleep Basil."

Interestingly, Perth recorded its biggest home and away BBL crowd on Tuesday night, with 42,226 people filing into Perth Stadium to watch the match against the Renegades.

It suggests Western Australians now enjoy Twenty20 more than the game's purest form.