Cricket Australia announces schedule for men’s and women’s Ashes

Cricket Australia has confirmed the schedule for the men’s and women’s Ashes while hinting that COVID-19 restrictions might continue to impact crowd presence.

The men's Ashes will begin in Brisbane on December 8 followed by a day/night Test in Adelaide on December 16. The third Test of the series will be the traditional Boxing Day game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Unlike every year, though, Sydney will not host the Ashes finale. The SCG will be the venue for the fourth Ashes fixture from January 5. The final Test of the Australia-England series will be played at Perth's Optus Stadium from January 14.

Australia are the current holders of the Ashes following a 2-2 draw in England back in 2019.

Ahead of the Ashes, Australia will host Afghanistan for a one-off Test at the Blundstone Arena from November 27. This Test was initially scheduled to be held last year but had to be postponed due to COVID-19.

Following the conclusion of the Ashes, Australia will take on New Zealand in three ODIs and a T20I from January 30 to February 8. Furthermore, the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka will be played from February 11-20.

The 2021/22 summer of cricket will be headlined by the men's and women's #Ashes series! Fans can buy their tickets today through an early access window exclusively for our interstate travel program: https://t.co/IPV70lgiKu pic.twitter.com/hKCBZNrtfG

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) May 18, 2021

Multi-format women’s Ashes schedule

The multi-format women's Ashes will kick off with a Test in Canberra from January 27-30. This will be followed by three T20Is (at North Sydney and Adelaide Oval) and three ODIs (at Adelaide and Junction Oval).

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison said after the women’s Ashes schedule was confirmed:

"2022 is going to be an amazing year for women's cricket. With an Ashes, a World Cup in New Zealand and a home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, this could be a landmark year for our team."

Hoping for a summer of full crowds and an Ashes atmosphere we're accustomed to: Nick Hockley

India’s tour of Australia saw limited crowd presence due to the COVID-19 threat. While Cricket Australia's interim chief executive Nick Hockley was hopeful of full crowds for the summer, he stated that the final call would depend on Australian Government rules.

Hockley stated:

"The lessons learned from successfully delivering a safe summer in 20-21 gives us confidence on what we're able to achieve, and we're all hoping for a summer of full crowds and an Ashes atmosphere we're all accustomed to."

"In a perfect world, we would welcome England fans back to these shores for a summer of singing and sportsmanship. Of course, we will be guided by the Australian Government on all things related to international travel," he further added.

Public tickets to the 2021-22 summer of cricket will be available in mid-June with priority access given to Australian Cricket Family members, while corporate hospitality options will be available from early June.

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) May 18, 2021

Men's Ashes 2021/22

Dec 8-12: 1st Test, The Gabba

Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval (day/night)

Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground

Jan 5-9: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground

Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth

Women's Ashes

Jan 27-30: Test, Manuka Oval

Feb 4: 1st T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 6: 2nd T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 10: 3rd T20, Adelaide Oval

Feb 13: 1st ODI, Adelaide Oval

Feb 16: 2nd ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 19: 3rd ODI, Junction Oval

Men's ODI & T20 Series v New Zealand

Jan 30: First ODI, Perth Stadium

Feb 2: Second ODI, Blundstone Arena

Feb 5: Third ODI, SCG

Feb 8: T20, Manuka Oval

Men's T20 Series v Sri Lanka

Feb 11: First T20, SCG

Feb 13: Second T20, The Gabba

Feb 15: Third T20, Metricon Stadium

Feb 18: Fourth T20, Adelaide Oval

Feb 20: Fifth T20, MCG