Cricket is a massive part of the Australian summer and sporting calendar.
This week the fixtures were released for the upcoming men’s and women’s Big Bash League seasons, but I have ideas to make the 2019-20 summer of cricket the biggest and best ever. More day-night Test matches need to be played – they’re the future of Test cricket.
The ICC Future Tours Programme says Australia will play New Zealand in three Tests and Pakistan in two Tests. I’d have three Test matches against each nation plus three ODIs and three T20s against each nation as well.
This is how I believe the 2019-20 international season should look.
Proposed 2019-20 men’s international season
Australia versus Pakistan
ODI – Sunday, 20 October 2019, in Sydney
ODI – Wednesday, 23 October 2019, in Hobart
ODI – Saturday, 26 October 2019, in Melbourne
Test – Thursday to Monday, 7 to 11 November 2019, in Canberra
Test – Friday to Tuesday, 15 to 19 November 2019, in Perth (day-night)
Test – Saturday to Wednesday, 23 to 27 November 2019, in Adelaide
T20 – Wednesday, 4 December 2019, in Brisbane
T20 – Friday, 6 December 2019, in Sydney
T20 – Sunday, 8 December 2019, in Melbourne
Australia versus New Zealand
T20 – Friday, 13 December 2019, in Perth
T20 – Sunday, 15 December 2019, in Adelaide
T20 – Tuesday, 17 December 2019, in Canberra
Test – Thursday to Monday, 26 to 30 December 2019, in Melbourne (day-night)
Test – Friday to Tuesday 3 to 7 January 2020, in Sydney (day-night)
Test – Saturday to Wednesday 15 to 19 January 2020, in Gold Coast (day-night)
ODI – Tuesday, 21 January 2020, in Brisbane
ODI – Friday, 24 January 2020, in Adelaide
ODI – Sunday, 26 January 2020, in Perth
(Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Gallo Images)
Proposed 2019-20 women’s international season
Australia versus England
T20 – Tuesday, 4 October 2019, in Melbourne
T20 – Thursday, 6 October 2019, in Townsville
T20 – Saturday, 8 October 2019, in Brisbane
Australia versus South Africa
T20 – Wednesday, 29 January 2020, in Perth
T20 – Saturday, 1 February 2020, in Sydney
T20 – Monday, 3 February 2020, in Canberra
Australia versus Sri Lanka
ODI – Friday, 13 March 2020, in Melbourne
ODI – Sunday, 15 March 2020, in Adelaide
ODI – Wednesday, 18 March 2020, in Hobart
ODI – Friday, 20 March 2020, in Sydney
ODI – Sunday, 22 March 2020, in Brisbane
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Big Bash League
Women’s Big Bash League
Earlier this year Cricket Australia confirmed the WBBL would move to a October to November schedule as a standalone tournament. The competition should run between Thursday, 13 Octoberm and Saturday, 14 December. Televised games should be played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The semi-finals should be scheduled for 11 and 12 December with the final played on 14 December.
Men’s Big Bash League
The men’s BBL should run between Wednesday, 18 December, and Sunday, 16 February. Under my plan games would be played only on Day 4 and Day 5 of the day-night Test matches. A Christmas Day game is also a must for the 2019-20 season. Every team should take at least one home match to a regional venue. The final would be played on the weekend before the Women’s World Twenty20 begins.
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In my fixtures there are four day-night Tests. New Zealand would be the perfect opponent to play in the first ever day-night Test series. The Gabba misses out on a Test because I believe the Gold Coast should get a run at Test cricket. Traditional Boxing Day and New Year Tests would also be day-night fixtures for the first ever time.
One day-night Test is scheduled against Pakistan in Perth, with Adelaide and Canberra hosting the only two red-ball fixtures of the summer. Six ODIs and six T20s should be played. Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have got one ODI match and one T20 match each. Canberra has the remaining T20 and Hobart has the remaining ODI.
The Australian women’s team also has more matches than ever before, with three T20s against England before the WBBL kicks off, three T20s against South Africa before the Women’s World Twenty20 and five ODIs against Sri Lanka a week after the Women’s World Twenty20 final.
This is an awesome proposed schedule for international cricket in Australia. It is something Cricket Australia should seriously consider.
Your thoughts, Roarers?
Jonesy
Guest
I found several errors in your article tbh, Tim
robin lerch
Guest
looks all good to me i like the day night tests idea warnie has just said the same!!!!
Queenslander
Roar Guru
Are they the confirmed teams for the womens internationals?
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The version I have says the Australian home summer of 2019/20 is: 3 T20Is v Sri Lanka in October 2 Tests, 3 T20Is v Pakistan in November 3 Tests, 3 ODIs v New Zealand in December-January Maybe that was not the final version?? https://pulse-static-files.s3.amazonaws.com/ICC/document/2018/06/20/6dc2c8d4-e1a5-4dec-94b4-7121fab3cd7f/ICC_Tours.pdf edit: And only five Tests each summer until at least 2022/23. Ridiculous.
mds1970
Roar Guru
To us in the eastern states, any Test match in Perth is effectively already a day-night Test.
Patrick
Roar Pro
I don't think New Zealand will be playing any Test Matches. If you download the PDF from this link: https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/299451, then it shows 3 tests v Pakistan, and 3 vs West Indies. There are 3 ODIs against New Zealand, and 3 v West Indies. Interestingly no T20's appear on the schedule, although it only goes to December 2019, so they may be played in New Year. Either way, I'm confident CA will ensure T20's are part of that summer. That said, I prefer the prospect of New Zealand tests, because the West Indies drew terrible crowds last time.
Patrick
Roar Pro
Exactly. It would literally be like watching an overseas Test-match for those in the Eastern states.
Tlux
Guest
Yep. I stopped reading once I hit the Perth day/night test suggestion. Shows a complete lack of understanding as to why they play day/night tests
AREH
Roar Guru
Yeah, there's actually just quietly a lot to get excited about for this 18-19 season, regardless of the banned players missing. The main reason being, as you point out, what emergence we see of the brightest young stars as a result.
Tim
Roar Rookie
There has been an error in my article sorry. The third Test is suppose to be 15-19 January against New Zealand
Kurt Rudder
Guest
I don't think we need that many day-night tests. You had an overlap with the NZ ODI series and the 3rd test
Noah Barling
Roar Pro
The Boxing Day and Sydney Tests are fine, Gabba is our best venue
Simon
Guest
I would be disappointed if the Boxing Day and New Years test’s became day nighters. They’re great as it is. Just fix the pitches and the ball
Bearfax
Roar Guru
I'm waiting to see who will be in those matches for Australia with the rise of some young players who may usurp existing test spots. And by late 2019 Smith, Bancroft and Warner will be back in contention. By that time in batting , will Renshaw have risen to be one of our best test players. What of Lehmann and Head. Then there's Heazlett and Patterson. And coming up through the ranks there could be that dark horse Doran. Exciting times
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Why would the MCG and SCG Tests be day-night? They already get good sales (at least on the first few days), are on when people aren't work and school, and night sessions would conflict with BBL almost every night. I know CA are cannibalising Tests this summer, let us hope that never happens again. I assume Adelaide, not Perth, is the intended day-night for the Pakistan series. The FTP only has Pakistan here for two Tests. This means there will only be five Tests in 2019/20, rather than the seven I would like to see every summer or six we usually get when two teams tour. God Coast may get a mens ODI or T20I, it is hard to see it getting a Test ahead of the Gabba. The other issue is making sure players have a chance in the correct format before the internationals. Again the BBL gets in the way, as it means Shield game aren't played for two months. This really gets in the way of players having form for Tests in the height of summer.
Owen
Guest
Perth will never have a day/night test, the time difference from the east would preclude it. The day time Perth tests end up being in prime time in Sydney and Melbourne, whereas a day nighter would end up finishing after midnight. I think your also being a bit harsh on the GABBA, I can't see why a summer test would ever be played on the Gold Coast over Brisbane or even Hobart for that measure.