KARACHI: Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the schedule for Pakistan’s Test tour to Australia, which will take place later this year in December.
Immediately after the 2023 ICC World Cup, Australia’s men’s team will remain in India for a bilateral white-ball series before returning home to begin their Test campaign (against Pakistan in Perth) from December 14, ensuring a different look to the Test schedule.
It will be the latest start to a men’s Test summer of five or more matches since the 1924-25 Ashes battle that kicked off at the SCG on December 19, 1924.
After Australia and Pakistan fought out a gruelling three-Test battle on flat pitches in Pakistan last year, where Cummins’ team emerged triumphant 1-0, both sides’ renowned pace attacks will doubtless relish the chance to unleash on the traditionally pacy Perth track.
Pakistan’s only previous first-class outing at Perth Stadium saw then 16-year-old quick Naseem Shah unleash a brutal spell against Australia A in 2019, after fellow quick Imran Khan had scythed through the home team’s top order to capture 5-32.
Given the disappointing attendance for last year’s Australia-West Indies Test at Perth Stadium and CA’s hopes to grow the market in Western Australia, it opted to stage the first Pakistan Test in WA with Adelaide’s mid-January fixture reverting to day status rather than its recent tradition of day-night.
The summer’s only pink-ball Test match will be the second match between Australia and West Indies at the Gabba where the Caribbean visitors last played in 2009.
Schedule
1st Test – December 14-18: Perth Stadium
2nd Test – December 26-30: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
3rd Test – January 3-7: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
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