CONFIRMED – First women’s cricket series in COVID crisis to take place between Australia and New Zealand

Women’s cricket has been badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with no matches taking place ever since the end of the ICC Women’s World T20 final between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A proposed tri-series between England, South Africa and India was scheduled in September but that has been postponed as well due to travel restrictions in South Africa and India. However, there will finally be a series after six months with the Australian women’s team, the reigning T20 champions taking on New Zealand in three T20Is and three ODIs in September.

In a statement by Cricket Australia, the series was confirmed which will be played in September but all the games will be in Brisbane as the Australian Cricket Board looks to play in condensed hubs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cricket Australia said their cricket season was likely to be played in hubs and in a concentrated period of time to comply with strict coronavirus protocols. New Zealand will arrive in Australia on Sept. 9 and undergo a 14-day isolation period.

Australian players from the states of New South Wales and Victoria will arrive in Brisbane on Sept. 6 and also enter isolation before joining the rest of the squad on Sept. 20. The first T20 game is set to be played at Allan Border Field on Sept. 26, with further matches on Sept. 27 and 30 before one-day internationals on Oct. 3, Oct. 5 and Oct. 7.

The confirmation of the first set of fixtures might ease some pressure on CA, who faced a revolt from broadcasters this week unhappy at a lack of clarity and who have threatened to terminate their television contract.

Blueprint for India series

The women’s series between Australia and New Zealand could lay the blueprint for the India series that will begin in December which includes three ODIs, three T20Is and four Tests.

There is talk that the series would be played in a concentrated hub and would be restricted to potentially one or two venues. The Indian cricket team will be flying straight to Australia after the end of the IPL where they will be under a mandatory 14-day quarantine. There is even talk that Virat Kohli might miss the series as he is becoming a father in January 2021 but there is no such reports that the Indian skipper is planning to give the series a miss.