New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) Cricket Australia has overhauled its women’s international schedule for next summer after the ICC’s decision to bring forward the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy created a significant clash in the calendar.

The governing body was forced to revise a slate of home fixtures following the ICC’s announcement that the tournament, originally earmarked for June, would instead be played in February.

The reshuffle has resulted in New Zealand splitting its Australian tour into two separate visits, while Australia’s women’s home season has been trimmed from 12 matches to nine.

The revised program, however, has handed the Australian women a prominent role in the lead-up to the men’s 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG, with a pair of ODIs against New Zealand scheduled in Melbourne during the historic week.

Under the new arrangement, New Zealand will travel to Australia in October for a three-match T20I series before returning in March for a three-match ODI campaign.

The October leg replaces a previously scheduled T20I series against Bangladesh, although the venues and timing remain unchanged. Australia’s ODI commitments against both Bangladesh and New Zealand have been retained due to their significance in the Women’s World Championship, which also serves as the qualification pathway for the next Women’s ODI World Cup.

The March ODI series against New Zealand will form part of a marquee week for Australian cricket. Junction Oval will host the second and third ODIs of the series, including a day-night international on March 8, which coincides with International Women’s Day and Victoria’s Labour Day public holiday. The fixture will also be the first full international match played under the venue’s newly installed floodlights.

The third and final ODI is scheduled for March 10, just 24 hours before the opening day of the 150th Anniversary Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The scheduling changes came from the ICC’s decision to move the Women’s Champions Trophy into an already crowded February window, forcing Cricket Australia to revisit plans that had initially accommodated bilateral series against both Bangladesh and New Zealand within a single home summer.

Meanwhile, Junction Oval could also play a role in England’s preparations for the anniversary Test. Although not yet officially confirmed, plans are understood to include a pink-ball warm-up fixture for England’s Test squad. The proposal follows criticism of England’s lead-up to the most recent Ashes series, when much of the touring party opted not to play in the day-night Prime Minister’s XI match in Canberra.

Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager of Scheduling and Operations, Peter Roach, said the revised arrangements ultimately delivered the best outcome possible for all stakeholders.

“We’re particularly excited that women’s cricket will feature prominently in the lead up to the 150th Anniversary Test with the historic first international match under lights at Junction Oval. We are thankful to Bangladesh and NZ for their cooperation and understanding – particularly NZ for agreeing to travel to Australia twice,” he said.

–IANS

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