Cricket Australia unveils domestic season fixtures for 2023-24

Cricket Australia (CA) has announced its upcoming domestic schedule, including the Sheffield Shield, Australia A tours, and the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL) fixtures. Australia A will host New Zealand A for two four-day games in August and September, which will also feature a day and night pink ball fixture. 

CA has also announced a tour game for the Pakistan side ahead of their first Test in Perth on December 14, as Prime Minister XI will play a four-day fixture at Manuka Oval in Canberra. The Sheffield Shield will run from October to March, and six rounds will be played before Australia play Pakistan in the first Test. 

The 13th season of the Big Bash League (BBL) will begin on December 7, while the Australian side play the 2023 ODI World Cup in India in October and November.  The schedule clearly indicates that the Australian players will be playing against Pakistan in the first Test without any red-game ball game under their belt. 

Cricket Australia's expansion of women’s cricket in upcoming schedule

At the same time, CA will be expanding women’s cricket into top-tier stadiums, as in the WNCL, South Australia will host a fixture at the Adelaide Oval for the first time in 13 years. It is pertinent to mention that the Women’s BBL will also be played in big stadiums like the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in the upcoming season.

However, Cricket Australia will also schedule additional tour matches for both men’s and women’s. Pakistan men’s team will play a tour game before the start of the three-Test series. South Africa women’s team will also play against Governor Gereral’s XI ahead of their limited overs and Test fixtures, starting on January 27. 

In the end, looking at the fixture of Australia's limited overs 50-over competition (Marsh One-Day Cup) will remain an eight-game tournament. Western Australia, the defending champion in both the Sheffield Shield (first-class) and Marsh Cup, will begin their campaign against Queensland at Allan Border Field on September 24 and in the Sheffield Shield against Victoria at WACA on October 4.