The Big Bash League continues to expand yet the performance of the national side in both the Test and the ODI arenas continues to cause concern.
With this in mind it is crucial that Cricket Australia administrators carefully consider the timing of Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup fixtures for next season.
Reports already suggest that Cricket Australia are looking at ways to make the BBL more compact and there are also whispers that next season’s One-Day Cup is likely to move away from the September and October period.
Australia’s home fixtures are limited next season, with the national side set to host six international T20 matches in late October and early November, only five home Test matches and, concerningly, just the three ODIs, as per the ICC Futures Schedule.
The last calendar day of the home summer is set to be Day 5 of the Sydney Test, before the Aussies then tour three countries between February and March.
So how should the domestic fixtures be incorporated to reflect such a bizarre international schedule?
The early season T20Is simply cannot be reflected in the domestic schedule; however, Cricket Australia should be able to include four Sheffield Shield rounds between late September and early November ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.
A day-night round of Shield cricket needs to take place in early November ahead of what could be an exclusively pink-ball affair with Pakistan.
To make the One-Day Cup relevant again, the scheduling of these games should occur before and after the Shield matches, with six rounds of both red and white-ball cricket to take place ahead of the three ODIs and three Tests against New Zealand.
While one-day matches at grounds such as North Sydney and Junction Oval are great for the fans, a handful of games should still be scheduled at the SCG and the MCG in order to address regular complaints from the Australian Cricketers Association.
(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
The BBL can begin at its usual time around a week before Christmas, but Darren Lehmann’s idea of splitting it with a round of Shield cricket in mid-to-late January would be a smart idea considering the timing of the Test series in Bangladesh.
This would allow players on the fringe of Test selection to prove themselves while also giving the selectors one last chance to reconsider before choosing the squad to tour Bangladesh.
The BBL can then resume on the Australia Day long weekend so that Cricket Australia can capitalise on the lack of international cricket at this time.
The tournament would again conclude in mid-February but would be 13 days shorter than this season.
Overseas limited-overs tours of South Africa and New Zealand could be further reflected by scheduling the remaining rounds of the One-Day Cup plus finals straight after the BBL.
The remaining Shield rounds could then take place throughout March.
Proposed 2019-20 domestic fixtures
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