Adelaide Oval in box seat to assume Boxing Day Test duties should MCG relinquish match
Already destined to lose the AFL Grand Final, the MCG is also now in grave danger of relinquishing its iconic Boxing Day Test, with contingency plans in place for a move and one ground emerging as favourite.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Adelaide Oval has emerged as an early favourite to host its first Boxing Day Test should the MCG be unavailable.
Cricket Australia is desperately trying to avoid having to move the iconic summer fixture away from Melbourne despite the fact the AFL Grand Final appears destined for the Gabba in Brisbane.
There is still time for the coronavirus numbers in Melbourne to reduce before CA has to make a final decision on its Test venues for this summer’s series against India.
Watch every ball of the England v Pakistan Test Series Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >
CRICKET NEWS
Run machine throws hat into captaincy ring
Why BBL’s top talent could savaged this summer
Cricket Australia’s scheduling guru Peter Roach has a myriad of contingency plans being worked on, but Adelaide appears the most suitable alternative venue given its proven pedigree for delivering big cricket occasions.
If Adelaide took on the Boxing Day Test it may surrender day-night pink ball status to the Gabba.
At this point it’s largely speculation, with Cricket Australia at the mercy of border restrictions and case numbers closer to when the action will start in December.
It’s understood CA is closer to locking in scheduling for tournaments like the WBBL, which could be played entirely in NSW.
The men’s Big Bash League could be played across two states, with Queensland in contention to get plenty of hub cricket this summer.
The domestic one-day competition for men appears destined to fall by the wayside, but the Sheffield Shield remains a strong possibility.
If Perth scores a Test against India it’s thought to be most likely to be the first given it’s an obvious place for players to quarantine at when they return from the IPL.
Australia’s limited-overs squad flies out of Perth bound for Derby in the UK on a private jet on Sunday, ahead of their bizarre six-game odyssey to get cricket back on the road.
Cricketers will feel like kings at times and cleaners at others as they prepare for life inside the bubble.
Players will be required to clean their own rooms, but will have other luxuries afforded to them to help with the sense of confinement.
Specific tee times will be given out to players keen on golf to ensure they don’t interact with members of the public on the hotel course.
Uber eats delivery meals and groceries – for example vegan orders made by Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson – will be checked over by security in a designated room and switched into new bags before they’re ready for collection by players.
This kind of existence might have been a rude wake-up call for AFL and NRL players this season, but it will be less so for Australia’s cricketers who virtually live this life anyway when they tour countries like Bangladesh and India.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for the 21-man squad will be at training time when players must break habits that have been second nature since they were kids.
Using saliva on the ball is banned. Even sharing balls is banned, with each player to use their own ball and equipment at net practice.
Originally published as Adelaide Oval in box seat to assume Boxing Day Test duties should MCG relinquish match