Australia could resort to their Northern Territory and Queensland venues to host next year’s Bangladesh red-ball tour, which, if it happens, would mark the return of the format to the two states after 22 years. Cricket Australia (CA) are keen to extend the red-ball season into winter to reduce the strain on summer, which is already cramped with Tests and the BBL. Darwin is likely to get a game, with Townsville, Cairns and Mackay also in contention for a Test comeback. International cricket returned to the Northern Territory for the first time since 2008 with a white-ball series against South Africa earlier this month.
The strong crowd turnout, as well as the quality of wickets across Darwin, Mackay, and Cairns, has further boosted the chances of the Territory and North Queensland bagging hosting rights for at least one Test next year. Australia haven’t staged a winter Test since 2004, but CA’s CEO hopes to end this dry run and ensure international cricket can be played year-round.
“We had such good support [in the white-ball games], we were sold out in almost every stadium we played in,” Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said. “Playing on each of the shoulder parts of the season works. Our Australian women’s team will play a Test match in mid-March in Perth this year. International cricket is played 12 months of the year.”
Bangladesh, one of only two teams to have played a winter Test in Australia, were slated for a red-ball series in March 2027. But Test cricket’s 150th anniversary game between England and Australia, scheduled around the same time, meant the series had to be rescheduled.
Besides Cairns and Darwin, none of the other venues in the Northern Territory and Queensland has ever hosted a Test match. The Great Barrier Reef Arena (Mackay), upgraded in 2023 and already used for WBBL fixtures, is next on the priority list after Cairns. Players were impressed with the wickets at the venue in ODIs and T20Is against South Africa. If Mackay does get a Test, it will be its first-ever.
“Ideally [we will],” Greenberg said. “We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars.
“I spent some time with the Chief Minister there and they’ve got a strong appetite for more cricket, as have we. The conditions up there are amazing when you take out the biggest variable we have in cricket, which is weather, and you have nothing to worry about.”
Townsville is another potential host, having staged Zimbabwe for an ODI series in 2022. While the venue might not be a top pick for the Bangladesh series, with Mackay and Cairns ahead, Australia would still be interested in preparing more Queensland venues for the 2026-27 summer, especially with the Gabba not awarded a Test for the New Zealand series. There could be more white-ball games which CA would seek to split between the two states. Afghanistan was originally scheduled to visit Australia for one Test and three T20Is next summer, but with bilaterals discontinued with the side the series was cancelled.
