Melbourne, May 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Cricket Australia on Sunday released the schedule of 2023/24 international home summer for both men's and women's teams, comprising six Tests, nine ODIs and nine T20Is to be played at 11 venues across seven cities.
With the men's team set to be in India for the ICC ODI World Cup in October-November, Australia women's team, currently holding both T20 and ODI World Cups, will begin the home summer with a three-match T20I series on October 1, 2 and 5 against West Indies at North Sydney Oval and Brisbane, before a further three ODIs on October 8, 12, and 15 against the same opponent at Allan Border Field and in Melbourne.
After featuring in a highly-anticipated multi-format tour of India over December and January, the Australia women's team will be back to hosting duties through a multi-format series against South Africa begins late January with three T20Is (Jan 27, 28 and 30) and three ODI matches (Feb 3, 7 and 10) in Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Sydney before culminating in the historic inaugural Test meeting between the two teams at the WACA Ground in Perth from February 15-18.
The ODI series carries additional significance for both Australia and South Africa as they seek to earn crucial points in the ongoing ICC Women's Championship campaign (2022-25) which forms part of the qualification pathway for the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup to be held in Ind"a.
"The confirmation of this hugely important tour for the Proteas Women in Australia is welcomed news. I would like to thank Cricket Australia for their collaboration in helping make this substantial tour a "ea"ity."
'The trip 'Down Under', which is included in the first women's cricket Future Tours Programme (FTP), will present the Proteas with elite competition during a pivotal phase ahead of the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September, as the team continue its storied journey near the top of the wom"n'" game."
"Following the success of the recent Women's T20 World Cup held on home soil, it is without a doubt that the South African public and the global cricket fan at large is eagerly awaiting the next opportunity to witness world-class women's cricket and this tour goes a long way in deli"ering that," said Pholetsi Moseki, CSA Chief Executive.
On the other hand, the Australian men's team will remain in India immediately after the end of the ODI World Cup for a bilateral white-ball series before returning home to begin their three-match Test series against Pakistan from December 14-18 at the Perth Stadium.
The two teams will face off in the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26-30, followed by the third and final match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-7, 2024.
Pakistan have played 10 Tests at the MCG and eight at the SCG -- at both venues, they have won two matches each. In the lead-up to the series, Pakistan will play a four-day warm-up to acclimatise to the conditions Down Under.
The Benaud-Qadir Trophy was launched in 2022 when Australia arrived in Pakistan after 16 years for a three-Test series. Pat Cummins' side bagged the first iteration as they bagged the series 1-0 after defeating Pakistan in Lahore in the third and final Test.
The summer's only pink-ball Test match will be the second Test match between Australia and West Indies at the Gabba from January 25-29, where the visitors last played in 2009, with the first Test to be played at Adelaide Oval from January 17-21.
Another key factor in formulating the men's schedule, as per CA, was the West Indies' requirement to depart Australia by mid-February to meet their FTP commitments with Pakistan.
Consequently, the three ODIs and three T20Is between Australia and West Indies have been scheduled for Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth from February 2-13 to round out the international schedule. Australia's men's team then travels to New Zealand for a series of two Tests and three T20Is, as per the FTP.
"Cricket provides the sights and sounds of the summer and brings Australians together like no other sport and we can't wait to welcome fans to watch world-class cricket next season."
"We look forward to West Indies, Pakistan and South Africa visiting our shores this summer and we thank them along with all our partners, including broadcasters, venues and local governments for their support in bringing world-class cricket to fans around the country," said Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO.
"We are delighted to be offering our most loyal fans the opportunity to secure the best seats at the best prices in our Australian Cricket Family pre-sale. We're also proud to be able to keep our entry-level ticket prices flat for the eighth consecutive season to ensure as many people as possible can experience and enjoy women's and men's international cricket," he concluded.
Source: IANS
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