Australia is planning to host two Test matches at the MCG, including a special 150th anniversary clash with England, as part of a mouth-watering 2026-27 summer.
The Nine papers report Cricket Australia has reached an agreement to extend its series against New Zealand to four Tests, rather than the three laid out in the Future Tours Program, with a March two-Test series at home against Bangladesh likely to be moved.
That would allow Australia to host a series against the Kiwis over Christmas and New Years, including the Boxing Day Test at the MCG as usual, along with a one-off clash with England to mark 150 years of Test cricket at the same venue in March.
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The change could force the AFL to tweak its 2027 fixture because the league typically begins its season at the MCG in mid-March. Under the current agreement between cricket and the AFL, the league would gain access to the ground on March 18.
“Discussions with Cricket Australia continue but nothing has been determined yet for 2027,” a Melbourne Cricket Club spokesperson said.
The matches against New Zealand would almost certainly be hosted in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, because the Gabba will be unavailable due to renovations for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
As it stands Australia is scheduled to host three ODIs and five T20s against England over November-December, followed by three Tests against New Zealand, and then two Tests against Bangladesh in March – with a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Series in India across January-February.
Under the emerging plan the Bangladesh Tests could be moved to August and September 2026, in a period where Australia is already scheduled to host a Test and three T20s against Afghanistan across venues in northern Australia such as Cairns and Mackay.
However Australia currently does not play bilaterals against Afghanistan in protest of the treatment of women by the Taliban.
Autralia will host five-match Test tours by India and England over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 summers respectively.
This upcoming summer will feature three Tests against Pakistan (Perth from December 14-18, Melbourne from December 26-30, Sydney from January 3-7), and two Tests against the West Indies (Adelaide from January 17-21, Brisbane day-night from January 25-29).
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