After three years, Perth will finally host a Test match again – being handed the opening five-dayer of the summer in what promises to be a bumper season of cricket.
Australia will host the West Indies at Perth Stadium from November 30 to December 4, with the second Test at the Adelaide Oval the following week.
Three tests against South Africa will follow, at the Gabba from December 17 to 21, before the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests at the MCG and SCG, respectively.
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“Following arguably the most successful summer in our cricket history last year, we are thrilled to announce an action-packed international schedule for our outstanding women’s and men’s teams,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.
“We are hosting a record six touring nations to Australia this season, in addition to the ICC men’s T20 World Cup. It promises to be an incredible summer.
“We are delighted that Test cricket is coming back to Perth Stadium for the first Test of the summer versus the West Indies, after almost three years without international cricket, and we look forward to hosting South Africa over Boxing Day and New Year for the first time since 2008.”
In addition to the Test series, Australia will play three ODIs against Zimbabwe in Townsville in late August and early September, as well as another three against New Zealand the following week.
A three T20 series in Brisbane and Canberra against England will serve as a curtain-raiser to the men’s T20 World Cup, which begins on October 16.
Next January, Australia’s women will host Pakistan in three ODIs and three T20s across Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney, ahead of February’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“Both our teams have the opportunity to defend their T20 World Cup titles, the men’s team on home soil and the women’s team in South Africa, as our exceptional players inspire the next generation of cricketers in the shortest format of the game,” Hockley said.
In June, Australia’s men tour Sri Lanka while the women will play a T20 tri-series with Pakistan and Ireland in Derry, ahead of their bid for Commonwealth Games gold in July and August.
Both men’s and women’s teams will tour India, in September and December, respectively.
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