Perth is likely to host this summer’s Ashes series finale instead of Sydney as part of a schedule shake-up for a jam-packed 2021-22 men’s international season. This is the first time since 1995, the fifth and final Ashes Test won’t take place in the Harbour City, with the series set to run into mid-January.
According to reports that Perth will instead host the finale from January 14, after the first four Ashes Tests in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. The one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Hobart in late November will be the perfect warm-up for the Aussies.
Perth to host Ashes 2021 final
Meanwhile, a couple of multi-format Australian cricketers – David Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins will likely be fresh out of quarantine after playing the ICC T20 World Cup in India scheduled to take place in October-November. The global event makes it unlikely for them to feature in the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield. As a result, they will be out of first-class action for almost eight months.
On the other hand, Test specialists such as Nathan Lyon, Tim Paine, and Will Pucovski would be in the full swing of red-ball cricket, with the Sheffield Shield slated to start on September 14.
December 9 is likely to mark the start of Ashes 2021 at the Gabba before a day-night Test at Adelaide Oval the following week. Melbourne and Sydney will retain their traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s slots. The final encounter of Ashes 2021 will begin on January 14 in Perth.
Following the much-anticipated Test series against England, Australia is scheduled to play the white-ball series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand that will stretch well into February.
