The new Perth Stadium will miss out on hosting an Ashes Test in December after the Government of Western Australia confirmed that the match will take place at the WACA Ground (pictured).
The 60,000-seat facility had been lined up to host the clash between Australia and England as its opening event later this year, but a series of delays to the project cast doubt over the fixture.
James Sunderland, chief executive of Cricket Australia (CA), this week said that he was hopeful the stadium would still host the event and set a decision deadline of the end of May 10.
However, the local government has now ruled out Perth Stadium as host, with the WACA, which has staged Ashes Tests since 1970, to step in as a replacement.
Ben Wyatt, Treasurer for the Government of Western Australia, said in a statement: “Western Australian taxpayers have paid a lot of money for this stadium so it’s important we start to get some use out of it. It will be a world-class stadium when finished and an important community asset, and we are working very hard to get it finished on time.
“The Perth Stadium Steering Committee is of the view that given the ongoing construction of the stadium precinct, hosting the Ashes Test presented an unacceptable high level of risk,” Wyatt said.
However, Perth Stadium is on track to be finished in time for the start of the 2018 AFL Australian rules football season, while the local government also confirmed that the venue will be ready to host an Ed Sheeran music concert at the start of March next year.
In addition, the government said that if the new stadium is completed ahead of schedule, it could be used to stage a number of other events prior to the concert.
Mick Murray, Sport and Recreation Minister, said: “Hosting the Ashes Test at the new stadium would have been a spectacle, but unfortunately it’s just not possible and the State Government is now working to correct the problems we have inherited.
“Confirmation of the Ed Sheeran concert in March 2018, just ahead of the first AFL match is a fantastic outcome for Western Australians, and we will continue to investigate the possibility of earlier events.”
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