Featured image credit: Marc Dalmulder/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
Cricket Australia has announced the allocation of men’s international Test match hosting rights for the next seven seasons, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval all locking in long-term deals.
The MCG and SCG (pictured) will continue to host Boxing Day and New Year’s Test matches, respectively, for the next seven seasons.
Adelaide Oval will host the December Christmas Test from 2025-26 onwards, with its deal including a combination of day-night and day Tests, as well as a Big Bash League New Year’s Eve match for the next seven seasons.
Australia and England will also meet at the MCG in March 2027 in a one-off celebration of the first Test played in March 1877. A Centenary Test match was held in 1977 and this will now be replicated 50 years on.
Perth’s Optus Stadium will also continue to host the West Test, which serves as the first men’s Test of the summer, until 2026-27.
The Gabba in Brisbane has only agreed a two-year deal to host Test matches, including a men’s Ashes day-night Test in 2025-26. Discussions about future international cricket are ongoing, with doubts over the Gabba’s status as a long-term Test venue.
The Gabba had initially been set for a major redevelopment ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, but these plans were scrapped in March in favour of a more “modest” enhancement of the stadium.
Following Cricket Australia’s announcement, Queensland Cricket published an open letter expressing its disappointment that a 2026-27 Test at the Gabba had become a casualty of the “uncertainty” around the venue plans for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
Queensland Cricket added that major stadiums in other states are now considered more “commercially attractive and fan friendly” to host cricket compared to the Gabba. The 2026-27 season will mark the first time since 1976-77 that the Gabba has not hosted a Test match.
Queensland Cricket’s statement added: “While we acknowledge that there are other economic and social issues at play, at a very minimum we strongly urge (Queensland) government to bring certainty to the development of a fit-for-purpose stadium for the long term noting that the government’s own assessment has identified that the life span of the Gabba is finite, supported by the Quirk review of Olympic infrastructure.”
Cricket Australia said it is continuing to work closely with governments in Tasmania, Australia Capital Territory and Northern Territory on hosting rights over the next seven years, including the development of key stadium projects.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia chief executive, said: “We are confident this schedule ensures the best cricket will be played in the best venues at the right times across the country, including a fantastic mix of iconic Test matches, new blockbusters such as The West Test and Christmas Test and exciting day-night fixtures.
“Ensuring that cities across Australia get the best possible fixtures at the times they want is a challenging task – but we believe this plan delivers a fantastic schedule for cricket fans. We are enormously grateful for the strong support of state and territory governments and venue operators who will help us to deliver brilliant experiences across the country and maximise economic impact from these major events.”
Hockley announced earlier this month that he will be stepping down as chief executive of Cricket Australia after the upcoming season. He has spent almost 13 years working in Australian cricket.
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