Cricket Australia releases blockbuster 2016/17 summer schedule

Cricket Australia (CA) on Wednesday released its summer schedule of cricket, with four nations to tour Australia over 41 days of international cricket.

South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will all make the trip Down Under, with the Proteas to play Australia in a three-Test series during November, while Pakistan will also contest three Tests through December and January, reports Xinhua.

South Africa will clash with Australia in Perth, Hobart and Adelaide, while Pakistan will contest the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, while also making appearances in Brisbane and Sydney. 2016 is the first year that Perth will host the first Test of the summer.

Between the two Test series, New Zealand will visit from across the Tasman to take part in a set of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) in early December.

Following the Test series against Pakistan, Australia will host a second ODI series against the Pakistanis across five dates in January. South Africa will not play a ODI series in Australia over the 2016/17 summer.

To round out the summer, Sri Lanka will visit Austrlia's shores for a three-match T20 series, with venues to be confirmed at a later date.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the summer's cricket calendar is one of the most action-packed in recent memory.

"We believe that there is something for all cricket fans in the upcoming program," Sutherland said.

"We have two highly-regarded Test nations in South Africa and Pakistan touring Australia this summer and both series promise to be great contests.

"The decision to start the international season in Perth allows us to do so with a bang. It gives Western Australian cricket fans, including a strong local South African community, the chance to see two of the world's best sides, while allowing us to broadcast the match in prime time to the east coast of Australia."

Men's International Schedule:

2016-17 Test Series v South Africa

November 3-7: WACA Ground, Perth

November 12-16: Blundstone Arena, Hobart

November 24-28: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

One-Day International Series v New Zealand

December 4: SCG, Sydney

December 6: Manuka Oval, Canberra

December 9: MCG, Melbourne

Test Series v Pakistan

December 15-19: Gabba, Brisbane (Day-Night Test)

December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne

January 3-7: SCG, Sydney

One Day International Series v Pakistan

January 13: Gabba, Brisbane

January 15: MCG, Melbourne

January 19: WACA, Perth

January 22: SCG, Sydney

January 26: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

T20 International Series v Sri Lanka

February 17: venue TBD

February 19: venue TBD

February 22: venue TBD

--IANS

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