Melbourne and Sydney will retain their traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s slots.
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Reports suggest that the finale of The Ashes will not be played at Sydney, but Perth instead. The Harbour City has hosted the final game of the iconic Test series between England and Australia since 1995 and it will be the first time in 26 years that another city will host the final game. The decision was taken as part of a schedule shake-up for a packed 2021-22 season for the men’s game. The series is scheduled to end in mid-January next year, with the final game being played on January 14. The four previous Tests will be held at Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
There will also be a one-off match against Afghanistan in Hobart in late November which will serve as a warm-up game for the hosts. Players like David Warner, Pat Cummins, and Steve Smith, who play across all three formats of the game will be fresh out of quarantine after playing the scheduled ICC T20 World Cup in India, and in time for the series against England. It is unlikely for them to participate in the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield, which means that the likes of Pat Cummins and Steve Smith will not have played first-class cricket for eight months. It might well be a solid concern for the Aussies and an area of advantage for the English.
However, Test cricket specialists like Nathan Lyon, Tim Paine and Will Pucovski will spend a lot of time playing the longest format of the game. They will be part of the Sheffield Shield that has been scheduled to start from September 14.
Despite not hosting the final Test of the series, Sydney will be one of the venues where one of the five matches will be played. Sydney and Melbourne will retain their traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s day slots.
Following The Ashes series, the Aussies are scheduled to play white-ball cricket against Sri Lanka and fierce rivals New Zealand. The matches will stretch out into February as per the schedule.
