Cloud over Sydney's start to the international summer

Australia’s COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures are already causing significant headaches for the international summer of cricket, which is due to begin in Sydney in less than two months.

The first women’s one-day international between Australia and India is scheduled for North Sydney Oval on September 19, but the ongoing lockdown in the NSW capital has Cricket Australia considering other options.

Currently, the second and third ODIs are scheduled for Melbourne’s Junction Oval before the one-off day-night Test is to be played at the WACA Ground in Perth, followed by three T20Is at North Sydney Oval.

Recent lockdowns and border closures have thrown the winter football codes into disarray as fixtures change by the day, often forcing teams to relocate interstate at a moment’s notice, and all signs point to more curveballs for both the international and domestic cricket schedules this summer.

Australia will host men’s and women’s Ashes series as well as the men’s teams from Afghanistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka this season, but it’s the multi-format women’s series against India that is the most pressing concern.

"It’s certainly on our radar but what we do know is things can move quickly," Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s Head of Operations, told cricket.com.au ahead of the announcement of the men’s and women’s domestic schedules on Wednesday.

"We’ve got a bit of a roadmap to know if things keep going the way they are in NSW and it’s not a sharp U-turn, we’ll have to make those decisions sooner rather than later.

"We do have options up our sleeve; the options are fewer than they would be later in the season as it’s hard to play in a couple of states that early in the year. But we’ve got some options we’ll look at in the coming weeks."

Roach said at present, CA was still committed to play the series across multiple states. The last time Australia’s women played at home, in September and October last year, all six games were staged at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field.

"We’ll assess that as it gets closer but the hope is that we can … we want to take the game around the country so the fans get a look at this great Australian team of ours,” he said.

India will need to arrive in Australia in around six weeks’ time to begin their mandatory fortnight of hotel quarantine, and are set to meet a Cricket Australia XI in a warm-up game ahead of the first ODI.

Roach did not confirm where in the country India would fly into, but is confident CA will be able to replicate last summer’s biosecurity and quarantine plans that saw the organisation work with the federal and state governments to bring touring teams into the country and allow them to train during their quarantine period.

"We’ve got a lot of international teams coming out this year and we’re having those discussions with the state and federal governments as we speak," he said.

Roach also revealed England are planning for their men’s Ashes squad to arrive in two separate parties, with a group of Test specialists to arrive first before the remainder of the squad fly in following the T20 World Cup in the UAE.

It means the likes of Joe Root, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, who are not expected to play in the ICC tournament, would have some extra time adjusting to Australian conditions ahead of three-format players like Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler arriving.

The World Cup is due to finish on November 14, just 13 days before Australia’s one-off Test against Afghanistan. No firm travel plans have been made at this stage, but England’s World Cup players and support staff would ideally join players from Australia and Afghanistan on a chartered flight back from the UAE after the tournament.

"England obviously have the same challenges as us with the World Cup, and we have to work through this with the state and federal governments still," Roach said.

"But their plan at the moment is to bring out an early group before that World Cup group comes.

"That’s all subject to government permissions.

"In a perfect world, that’s what we’re working towards, but that’s all subject to change.

"The most important thing is we get them here and they prepare well so they can have a great Ashes series.

"With the World Cup, that’s a moving feast; you could be out of the tournament with six or seven days to go … or you could go through to the final and be right to the end."

2021-22 International Season

Commonwealth Bank Women's Series v India

Sep 19: First ODI, North Sydney Oval (D/N)

Sep 22: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 24: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, WACA Ground (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 9: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Oct 11: Third T20, North Sydney Oval

Vodafone Men's Test v Afghanistan

Nov 27 – Dec 1: Test match, Blundstone Arena

Vodafone Men's Ashes v England

Dec 8-12: First Test, The Gabba

Dec 16-20: Second Test, Adelaide Oval

Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG

Jan 5-9: Fourth Test, SCG

Jan 14-18: Fifth Test, Perth Stadium

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval

Feb 4: First T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 6: Second T20, North Sydney Oval

Feb 10: Third T20, Adelaide Oval

Feb 13: First ODI, Adelaide Oval

Feb 16: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 19: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Dettol 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

Dettol 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