By: Muhammad Saad Abbasi
MELBOURNE: A Men’s five-Test Match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series and a day-night MCG Test Match as part of the Women’s Ashes Series are highlights of the 2024-25 international cricket schedule released today.
The intense rivalry between the Australia and India men will capture the attention of the cricket world with Pat Cummins’ ICC World Test Champions taking on star-studded India in the NRMA Insurance Test Series – the first five Test Match Series between the countries since 1991-92.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series commences on November 22 with the West Test at Perth Stadium followed by the return of day-night Test cricket at Adelaide Oval ensuring the first two encounters will feature in primetime in eastern Australia.
The third Test at the Gabba will be contested in a fan-friendly pre-Christmas timeslot from Saturday, December 14, before the traditional Boxing Day Test at the MCG and New Year’s Test at the SCG.
The CommBank Women’s Test at the MCG from January 30, 2025 will be the first at the venue since 1948-49. The match will be the first day-night Test at the MCG and a highlight of the multiformat Women’s Ashes Series as Alyssa Healy’s world-beating team attempts to retain the trophy Australia has held since 2015.
The MCG Test will be a feature of the big stadium matches throughout the Women’s Ashes Series with the SCG and Adelaide Oval to host T20Is.
The international season gets underway in September when the Australian women host New Zealand for three T20 Internationals in Queensland that will have added significance ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.
The Australian women will then play three ODIs against India in December meaning the hugely supported Indian men’s and women’s teams will be in Australia simultaneously.
Men’s international white ball cricket starts on Melbourne Cup-eve (November 4, 2024) with a Dettol Men’s ODI between the Australian men and Pakistan lighting up the MCG. The series against Pakistan features three ODIs and three T20Is with matches scheduled across all state capitals.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said:
“This is one of the most highly anticipated summers of cricket in memory with the eyes of the cricket world focussed on the extended Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series and the multiformat Women’s Ashes.
“Fittingly, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been put on the same footing as The Ashes with a five Test Series for the first time since 1991-92 and we’re confident the schedule will maximise viewership and attendances and there will be a tremendous atmosphere in stadiums across the country.
“The first Women’s Test match at the MCG since 1949, and the first day-night Test at that historic ground, will be a memorable occasion and another important milestone for women’s cricket as we take more games to major stadiums including the SCG and Adelaide Oval.
“The women’s white ball series against New Zealand and India and the men’s white ball series against Pakistan will provide wonderful entertainment and ensure fans in many locations can get behind our world champion teams.”
“I’d encourage fans to register on Cricket Australia’s digital channels for access to priority pre-sale tickets, which will be available on June 4.”
2024-25 SUMMER OF INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
CommBank Women’s T20I Series v New Zealand
19 September: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (N)
22 September: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (N)
24 September: Allan Border Field, Brisbane (N)
CommBank Women’s ODI Series v India
5 December: Allan Border Field, Brisbane (D/N)
8 December: Allan Border Field, Brisbane (D)
11 December: WACA Ground, Perth (D/N)
CommBank Women’s Ashes ODI Series
12 January: North Sydney Oval, Sydney (D)
14 January: Junction Oval, Melbourne (D)
17 January: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (D)
CommBank Women’s Ashes T20I Series
20 January: SCG, Sydney (N)
23 January: Manuka Oval, Canberra (N)
25 January: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (N)
CommBank Women’s Ashes Test Match
30 January-2 February: MCG, Melbourne (D/N)
Dettol Men’s ODI Series v Pakistan
4 November: MCG, Melbourne (D/N)
8 November: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
10 November: Perth Stadium, Perth (D/N)
Dettol Men’s T20I Series v Pakistan
14 November: The Gabba, Brisbane (N)
16 November: SCG, Sydney (N)
18 November: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (N)
NRMA Insurance Men’s Test Series v India
22-26 November: Perth Stadium, Perth
6-10 December: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
14-18 December: The Gabba, Brisbane
26-30 December: MCG, Melbourne
3-7 January: SCG, Sydney