Cricket Australia (CA) looks set to send a Test back to Darwin for the first time in more than two decades, with next August’s two-match series against Bangladesh likely to be split between the Northern Territory and regional Queensland.
Todd Greenberg, the CA chief executive, has spent the past fortnight sounding out local governments and ground staff after the sell-out white-ball fixtures against South Africa proved Darwin can still draw a crowd. “Ideally [we will],” Greenberg said when asked if the Bangladesh tour would be shared across states. “We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars.”
For context, the Bangladesh Tests were originally pencilled in for March 2027 but had to be shuffled forward because the 150th anniversary Ashes Test at the MCG squeezed space in the calendar. Afghanistan’s proposed visit for a one-off Test has been shelved, so CA suddenly had a winter window to fill – and the Top End climate, dry and warm in August, makes scheduling straightforward once the southern states slip into rainier months.
Possible venues have been narrowed to four: Darwin, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville. Darwin, having staged Australia A games in July and two men’s T20Is earlier this month, is clearly in front. The city last hosted a Test in 2004, when Sri Lanka visited, days that feel a lifetime ago to locals who have since had to make do with the odd Big Bash trial or women’s international.
Mackay’s refurbished Great Barrier Reef Arena is the shiny new option. Regular WBBL fixtures and a recent men’s ODI have shown off its even-paced pitches and upgraded lighting, and players were openly complimentary after the South Africa games. A Test there would be a first for the city; its case rests on modern facilities and a groundstaff already used to preparing premium surfaces outside the traditional summer.
Cairns, fresh from hosting ODIs against South Africa last week, has history on its side – two Tests in the early 2000s went smoothly – but needs minor improvements to player areas. Townsville lingers as a fourth candidate, though lighting issues have pushed it down the order.
Whichever Queensland venue is chosen will, under current plans, double as the state’s allotted home Test in 2026-27, a summer when the Gabba misses out due to a reshuffled New Zealand tour.
Greenberg stressed the broader strategy: shrinking the off-season and giving broadcasters a winter product. “We had such good support [in the white-ball games], we were sold out in almost every stadium we played in,” he said. “Playing on each of the shoulder parts of the season [works].” In plain terms, if August Tests in the tropics draw crowds and decent television numbers, they could become a fixture, taking pressure off the congested December-January block.
Pitch behaviour should not be an issue – Darwin’s Marrara surface stayed true for the Australia A fixtures, and Bangladeshi spinners would not mind a track offering gradual, rather than explosive, turn. For Australia, it would be a chance to reacquaint themselves with sub-continental style conditions without leaving home; for regional fans, simply seeing Pat Cummins or Marnus Labuschagne walk out in whites would be a moment that seemed impossible a few winters ago.
The final call is expected before Christmas so ticketing, broadcast schedules and preparation of square and outfields can start early in the new year. Few inside CA doubt Darwin will get at least one Test. The only real debate, it seems, is which Queensland city will share the honours.
