![The wait for Test cricket to return to Manuka Oval is set to continue. Picture by Elesa Kurtz The wait for Test cricket to return to Manuka Oval is set to continue. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/fda3649a-9c0e-49f7-aec9-a9d26110e744.jpg/r0_391_5493_3491_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The wait for Test cricket to return to Canberra is set to continue after Cricket Australia announced its schedule for next summer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The region was snubbed as the five major cities tightened their grip on the game's most prestigious format.
Canberra and Hobart sit down the pecking order and it could be years before Test cricket returns to the ACT.
Manuka Oval will host a men's One-Day International and two women's Twenty20 games in late January and early February, 2024.
Officials are also close to finalising details of the Prime Minister's XI fixture. The match was played for the first time as a four-day game last summer and was considered a big success. It's understood there are plans for it to return as a red-ball fixture.
Manuka Oval hosted its first Test match in 2019 before the women played a thrilling Ashes Test last January
Australia, however, is set to host just five Tests for the next four summers with Canberra and Hobart on the outside looking in.
MORE SPORT:
The ACT will receive a sniff when the redevelopment of the Gabba commences in 2026. Cricket ACT chief executive Olivia Thornton said the organisation will push for international red-ball cricket.
"It's still the pinnacle of our game for many of us, myself included," Thornton said.
"Anytime there's that opportunity to have a Test match in Canberra we'd certainly be interested. Maybe opportunities will present over the next period and we'll have those conversations in conjunction with Cricket Australia and the ACT government."
The international summer will kick off with the Australian women playing the West Indies in a three-game Twenty20 series before they face off in three one-dayers.
The start of the men's season has been delayed until December due to the 50-over World Cup in India. The tournament runs from October 5 to November 19.
Australia's first home match will be a Test against Pakistan in Perth starting on December 14. The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and New Year's Test in Sydney will round out the series.
From there, West Indies will return for the second-straight summer and play two Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane. The Gabba match is a day-night Test. The teams will then play three one-day games and three Twenty20s.
The Big Bash will run during December and January, with the schedule set to be finalised in the next month.
It remains to be seen if Sydney Thunder will play two BBL matches in Canberra as per its agreement with the ACT government as the franchise looks to negotiate a new deal following the competition's contraction.
While the Australian women's side will kick off the summer, it will travel to India in December before returning home to host South Africa in a seven game multi-format series.
Two Twenty20s at Manuka Oval will kick things off before a third in Hobart. Three one-day matches will follow and the series will conclude with a Test at the WACA in Perth.
While the ACT missed out on a Test match, Thornton was thrilled to see Canberra receive high-level cricket content next summer.
Australia will play two women's Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa on January 27 and 28 before the men take on the West Indies in an ODI on Tuesday, February 6.
The matches will be treated as a festival of cricket with Thornton eager for fans to descend on Manuka Oval.
"Any time the best players come to Canberra, I'd certainly encourage people to get around and support the team," she said.
"As we found in previous years, there's a direct correlation between watching the best and our participation rates.
"This year alone, off the back of quality international and domestic content, we had 20 per cent growth in players. You can never underestimate the importance of bringing international content to town. It's a big focus area for us and the ACT government.
International cricket at Manuka Oval
- Australia v South Africa, Women's Twenty20 Internationals, January 27 and 28.
- Australia v West Indies, Men's One-Day International, February 6.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.