December Tests in Adelaide will return to the international cricket schedule in 2024 after Cricket Australia locked in a new three-year deal with the South Australian Cricket Association.
After being pushed into a January clash with the returning West Indies as part of the 2023/24 summer, the SACA pushed for and was granted a return to December for massive series against India and then England to follow.
Both matches are set to be pink-ball Tests after the SACA raised “concerns” about the scheduling of international cricket around Australia.
“We are pleased that CA has listened to SACA’s concerns about the process for the allocation of Test match cricket in Australia,” SACA president Will Rayner said.
“CA has committed to a process that recognises the value, support and contribution created by SACA members and the broader South Australian cricketing public and ensures it will not be taken for granted in future scheduling decisions.”
There has been consternation about the scheduling for this summer, with Perth set to host the first Test against Pakistan before traditional matches in Melbourne and Sydney.
The West Indies are returning after a lopsided series last summer and will play in Adelaide and then at the Gabba in Brisbane. That game is also likely to be a pink-ball Test.
A full summer schedule is expected to be revealed in the coming days, with a reduction in the Big Bash schedule and a later start to international matches to cater for the Australian men’s white-ball team finishing a five-match T20 series in India in December after the 50-over World Cup.
The Test summer won’t start until mid-December and will then run until the end of January.
As part of the deal with the SACA, it was revealed that CA has also committed to a new process for long-term match allocation, to be completed this year, providing a “transparent and consistent basis for the allocation of future Test matches among all states”.
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