Photo Credit: Cricket Australia
Cricket fans will be treated to an epic summer as Cricket Australia today announces the men’s and women’s Ashes series to headline the 2021-22 international season.
Cricket fans will be treated to an epic summer as Cricket Australia today announces the men’s and women’s Ashes series to headline the 2021-22 international season.
In addition to the Ashes series, the Australian men’s team will host Afghanistan for a Test for the first time ever before finishing with nine Dettol ODI and T20 matches against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, while the Australian women’s team will host India at the start of the summer.
Public tickets to the 2021-22 summer of cricket will be available in mid-June with priority access given to Australian Cricket Family members. Corporate hospitality options available from early June. Fans can buy their tickets today through a special early access window exclusively for Cricket Australia’s interstate travel program by visiting ashes.cricket.com.au.
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO, said Australian cricket was excited for the action-packed summer ahead.
“Building on a fantastic summer of cricket just gone, we are absolutely thrilled to announce our women’s and men’s international fixtures for the 2021-22 summer of cricket,” Hockley said. “The lessons learned from successfully delivering a safe summer in 20-21 gives us confidence on what we’re able to achieve, and we’re all hoping for a summer of full crowds and an Ashes atmosphere we’re all accustomed to.
“International touring and associated quarantine means additional work and sacrifice for all involved, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone coming to Australia this summer – the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Afghanistan Cricket Board, New Zealand Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket – for agreeing to send teams to Australia this summer.
“The 2020-21 summer produced one of the greatest Test series ever, and this season promises to be just as big, if not bigger. The drama of the Ashes rivalry, the intrigue of a first-ever Test against Afghanistan, the passion of an Australia-India series and the excitement of white ball series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka is an extraordinary line-up which will see the best players competing on the world stage right across Australia.”
Men’s Internationals
The Australian men’s Test team will face its oldest and newest rivals this summer as part of an exciting six-Test program featuring England and Afghanistan.
Now in its 145th year, Australia-England Test matches continue to captivate fans around the world, never moreso than in 2019 when the Australian men’s team retained the Ashes on English soil for the first time in 18 years.
That draw was the sixth between the two nations, while Australia lead the overall win tally 33 to 32.
The Australian men’s team will begin its Vodafone Ashes Series defence at the Gabba from December 8-12 ahead of a day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval from December 16-20. The traditional Boxing Day and New Years’ Tests will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (December 26-30) and Sydney Cricket Ground (January 5-9) respectively, with the final Test scheduled for Perth’s Optus Stadium (January 14-18).
Preceding the Ashes will be a historic first Test match against the Afghanistan men’s team at Blundstone Arena on November 27.
The conclusion of the men’s Test program will usher in the arrival of the New Zealand and Sri Lankan white ball squads, who will play a combined three Dettol ODIs and six Dettol T20Is against Australia as teams finalise their preparation for the coveted ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, scheduled to begin in October, 2022.
The Black Caps will take on Australia in three Dettol ODIs at Perth Stadium (January 30), Blundstone Arena and the SCG (February 2 and 5) for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy followed by one T20I at Manuka Oval (February 8) in the latest instalment of the trans-Tasman rivalry.
Sri Lanka, the 2014 T20 World Cup champions, will round out the men’s international summer with five Dettol T20Is against Australia at the SCG (February 11), The Gabba (February 13), Metricon Stadium (February 15), Adelaide Oval (February 18) and the MCG (February 20).
New Zealand have replaced South Africa in the ICC Men’s international tour program. The Proteas were originally slated to play white ball matches in Australia this summer as per the ICC Future Tours Program, however due to the significant disruption to the cricket calendar caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa’s home summer has been extended and thus ruled out the possibility of an Australian tour at this time.
“The men’s Ashes is one of the great global sporting rivalries and seems to grow ever larger with each series and generation,” Hockley said. “We cannot wait to host England over five Tests this summer. The most recent Ashes series was a remarkable contest that captured the imagination of the entire cricketing world and I expect this summer to be no different.
“In a perfect world, we would welcome the Barmy Army back to these shores for a summer of singing and sportsmanship. Of course, we will be guided by the Australian Government on all things related to international travel.
“We are also incredibly excited to welcome Afghanistan to our shores for a historic first Test match against Australia. The story of the Afghanistan cricket team is one of the most uplifting in international sport, and their record of three wins from their first six Tests prove they truly belong at this level.
“The men’s international summer concludes with a feast of white ball cricket against the formidable New Zealanders and Sri Lankans, both of whom have huge followings in Australia. Both series will be keenly contested and serve as excellent preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year.”
Women’s Internationals
The international summer begins with a series against India, the final venues and dates of which are still being finalised with the BCCI.
The women’s international season breaks for the WBBL before returning for what will be an enthralling Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes series, to be contested once again across the three formats of the game.
Manuka Oval will host the standalone Ashes Test from January 27-30 ahead of the white ball matches. The three Commonwealth Bank T20Is between Australia and England will be played at North Sydney Oval (February 4 and 6) and Adelaide Oval (February 10), with the series concluding with a three-match ODI series at Adelaide Oval (February 13) and the Junction Oval (February 16 and 19).
At the conclusion of the series, the Australians will depart for New Zealand to take part in the 2022 ICC World Cup in a year that will also see them represent the nation at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“Not even a global pandemic could stop the momentum created by the Australian women’s team after the record-breaking T20 World Cup in 2020,” Hockley said. “Australia’s favourite national sporting team will face off against two of its biggest rivals this summer.
“A series against India, an Ashes, a World Cup and a Commonwealth Games represents an enormous challenge for the Australians, but Meg Lanning’s squad has proven time and again that they thrive in the most competitive of environments.
CA has considered quarantine periods for all international series into its 2021-22 fixture in line with current guidelines. CA continues to work closely with relevant Federal and State Government agencies and will provide updates on international quarantine, domestic biosecurity and crowd measures in due course.
Cricket fans will be able to watch and listen to the 2021-22 summer of cricket across Cricket Australia’s broadcast partners Foxtel, Channel Seven, Kayo, SEN and the ABC.
ENDS
Australian Women’s Team v India – TBC
Men’s Vodafone Test v Afghanistan
November 27 – December 1: Blundstone Arena
Men’s Vodafone Ashes Series
December 8 – December 12: The Gabba
December 16 – December 20: Adelaide Oval (Day-night)
December 26 – December 30: MCG
January 5 – January 9: SCG
January 14 – January 18: Perth Stadium
Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes – Test
January 27 – January 30: Manuka Oval
Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes – T20I
February 4: 1st T20I – North Sydney Oval (Night)
February 6: 2nd T20I – North Sydney Oval (Night)
February 10: 3rd T20I – Adelaide Oval (Night)
Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes – ODI
February 13: 1st ODI – Adelaide Oval
February 16: 2nd ODI – Junction Oval
February 19: 3rd ODI – Junction Oval
Dettol Men’s ODI Series v New Zealand
January 30: Perth
February 2: Blundstone Arena (Day-night)
February 5: SCG (Day-night)
Dettol Men’s T20I Series v New Zealand
February 8: Manuka Oval
Dettol Men’s T20I Series v Sri Lanka
February 11: SCG (Night)
February 13: The Gabba (Night)
February 15: Metricon Stadium (Night)
February 18: Adelaide Oval (Night)
February 20: MCG
*The matches and travel remain subject to any relevant government restrictions or requirements. CA reserves the right to change the 21-22 international cricket schedule
