Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the revised schedule for the upcoming home T20I series against Sri Lanka. The five-match series, starting from February 11, will be played across three venues – the Sydney Cricket Ground, Manuka Oval and Melbourne Cricket Ground.
E༺arlier, some matches were scheduled to be played in Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast, but now it has been relocated in order to minimize biosecurity risks by reducing travel across the country.
“CA will continue to prioritize the health and safety of all players, match officials, staff, fans, broadcasters and the wider community as we navigate the challenges presented by Covid-19,” said Nick Hockley, CA CEO, in an official statement.
“We know that fans in South Australia and Queensland will be disappointed to miss out on these matches, and we remain committed to bringing international cricket to all states and territories across the country as safe as possible. We thank Sri Lanka Cricket for working closely with us to make the series possible and look forward to five entertaining matches,” he added.
Here is the revised schedule:
- First T20I – February 11, Sydney Cricket Ground
- Second T20I – February 13, Sydney Cricket Ground
- Third T20I – February 15, Manuka Oval
- Fourth T20I – February 18, Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Fifth T20I – February 20, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Josh Hazlewood to return for Sri Lanka T20Is
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has confirmed that he will be back for the upcoming T20I leg. Notably, Hazlewood only played the first Ashes Test against England as a side strain didn’t allow him to feature in the remaining four fixtures.
“I’m definitely back for the Sri Lanka T20s. I’ve got a couple of weeks up my sleeve to get right and should be fine,” said Hazlewood as quoted by cricket.com.au.