Australia set to host Pakistan, West Indies in jam-packed home international summer
The Babar Azam-led side will be travelling to Australia to play three Test matches against the home team in the month of December and January. The Benaud-Qadir Trophy will be part of the World Test Championship cycle, and the three matches will be played in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, respectively.
Notably, the first Test will begin on December 14 at Perth Stadium, a ground where Pakistan are yet to play a single Test match (Optus Stadium). The second one, that is, the Boxing Day Test, will be hosted in Melbourne Cricket Stadium, while the third and final match of the series will begin on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Notably, the visiting team is expected to reach Australia after a break post the upcoming ODI World Cup. They will also play a four-day warm-up match in order to assess and get habituated to the Australian conditions.
Meanwhile, in their last series in Pakistan, Australia defeated the Babar Azam-led side by 1-0, and thus, the visiting team will be gunning to take their revenge this time around.
The West Indies series set to begin on January 17
The first Test between Australia and the West Indies will begin on January 17 at Adelaide Oval, while the second one will begin on January 25 at the Gabba in Brisbane. Notably, this will be the West Indies’ consecutive seasons due to a quirk in the next FTP. Meanwhile, following the competition of the Test series, the two nations will also play a white-ball series, starting February 2.
During the Test series, all the white-ball cricketers will be available to play in the Big Bash League (BBL), but once it is completed, they will have to join the national camp for three ODIs and three T20Is. With the T20 World Cup set to take place later next year, the short-ball series will carry a lot of value for both these teams.
Australia’s full home schedule
Date | Home Team | Visiting Team | Venue |
14-18 December | Australia | Pakistan | Perth |
26-30 December | Australia | Pakistan | MCG |
3-7 January | Australia | Pakistan | SCG |
17-21 January | Australia | West Indies | Adelaide |
25-29 January | Australia | West Indies | Gabba |