Australia will play a three-match Test series in the West Indies next year, says Nick Hockley

Adelaide, Dec 7 (IANS): Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley said the Test team will play three matches in the West Indies in June-July next year, as opposed to two matches. According to the new World Test Championship cycle, Australia will play two Tests in the West Indies.

But Hockley said CA and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have decided to host three matches instead. In January this year, Australia and the West Indies drew the two-Test series one-all. Australia will tour the West Indies for Tests for the first time since 2015, when they had won both matches in Dominica and Jamaica.

“I’m really happy that it’s going to manifest itself. We’re still waiting for an official announcement from the West Indies Cricket Board about exact dates and exact locations, but it will be a three-Test series, which is obviously big and is it must be.”

“It’s another great opportunity. The Test World Cup dictated that we play two, at least two. But really, for the fans and for the players, you don’t want to be stuck in the position when it’s one-on-one and for the players. everybody’s feeling unhappy,” Hockley said on SEN Radio during day two of the Adelaide Test.

Asked about the likelihood of a Test match between Australia and West Indies being a pink-ball day-night Test match, Hockley said: “I’m not sure about that. That will be confirmed in due course.”

Speaking about the lights going out twice in the last session’s play on Friday, Hockley said: “All we know is that it was a switching issue. We’ve got pretty good assurances that it’s not going to happen to happen again.”

“I was actually standing next to Charlie (Hodgson), he’s the boss of SACA and that’s their ground. In those situations you know the venue managers and pundits are on the case and I was pretty confident they would show up pretty quickly.”

Asked about the future of the 2025 Men’s Champions Trophy, whose schedule and venues have been in limbo for some time due to India not traveling to Pakistan, Hockley revealed that there had been no formal talks but a hybrid model to stage the tournament would make sense if the situation is serious.

“So we haven’t had anything formal about it, but obviously I’ve seen the media (reports) over the last 24 hours. Again, it’s above even people in cricket’s pay grades, but the most important thing for fans for broadcasters, for everyone who loves the game is that we get a really great event and a great Champions Trophy. So if the hybrid model is the most pragmatic in this environment, then I think it makes a lot of sense.”