Cricket Australia has made major changes to the traditional summer format next season in a move to give the Australian test team the best chance possible to win The Ashes.
With the series signally the beginning of a new broadcasting deal Cricket Australia had the ability to go into next summer with a few changes that include less One Day and T/20 matches. It is expected that the following season, the Summer of 2014-15 will revert back to a more familiar format.
This is an interesting move by Cricket Australia and no doubt the powers that be will gauge the public’s reaction to the new summer format. There is already a lot of pressure to reduce the number of limited over games played during the Cricket season and if it works out for both Cricket Australia and Channel 9, it may end up becoming the format that gets used well into the future.
The 2013-14 Ashes Tour dates are:
Ashes Cricket Series 2013-14
Thursday 21 – 25 November 2013 – Gabba, Brisbane
Thursday 5 – 9 December 2013 – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Friday 13 – 17 December 2013 – WACA Ground, Perth
Thursday 26 – 30 December 2013 – MCG, Melbourne
Friday 3 – 7 January 2014 – SCG, Sydney
Tour Matches
31 October – 2 November – WA XI v England – WACA Ground, Perth
6 – 9 November – Australia A v England – Hobart
13 – 16 November – NSW XI v England – SCG, Sydney
29 – 30 November – Chairman’s XI v England – Manuka Oval, Canberra