Cricket: White-ball rules for Australia

The coming months see Australia face a number of challenges across the 50 and 20-over arenas, with their next Test assignment not arriving until December.

That next Test series is a huge one, with India arriving for a five-match series which will see the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the line.

Before that, however, there is the small matter of a T20 World Cup coming up at the start of June and that is followed by series against Afghanistan and Ireland and a major white-ball tour of England in September.

Test action shuts down in Christchurch

When the second Test against New Zealand draws to a close at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Australia will not take to the field in a Test match again until December, when they welcome in India for a blockbuster series.

That means that 2024 has been very light on Test action for the Baggy Greens, whose only red-ball action so far this year has been the end of their series at home to Pakistan, two matches against the touring West Indies and a two-Test series in New Zealand.

T20 World Cup dominates the agenda

With the red ball put into storage, the white ball comes out and a T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies offers Australia an opportunity to add to the 50-over World Cup they won last year.

They have been drawn in the same group as current champions England, with Group B completed by Scotland, Oman and Namibia, with the top two qualifying for the Super 8s stage of the tournament.

Again, a top-two finish will be needed to secure a semi-final spot, with Australia hoping to go all the way and repeat the success they enjoyed in the T20 World Cup in Dubai in 2021.

The Baggy Greens open their campaign against Oman on Thursday June 6, before a showdown with England three days later and games against Namibia and Scotland on June 12 and 16 respectively.

Should they make it all the way, the final takes place at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on Sunday June 30.

Minnows follow global tournament

Once the T20 World Cup is complete, Australia’s stars will have a little break from international cricket before they are due to play three T20I against Afghanistan, although the details of this series have yet to be confirmed.

Following that is a tour of Ireland which will feature three ODIs and one Twenty20 international, with the Aussies having beaten Ireland in all four completed one-day internationals that the two sides have played, as well as two previous T20Is.

England return but not for the Ashes

Australia were in England as recently as last year, when a thrilling Ashes Test series ended in a 2-2 draw, which was enough of the Baggy Greens to retain the little urn.

They head back in September 2024 for three T20 internationals and a following five-match ODI series, meaning that there are eight games all packed with a schedule of less than three weeks.

The T20I action begins at the Rose Bowl in Southampton Thursday September 12, with the second match taking place in Cardiff two days later and the series finale set for Old Trafford, Manchester as Saturday September 13 rolls into Sunday.

A few days are allocated to prepare for the ODI matches, with the first of those five taking place at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Thursday September 19.

Two days later the old rivals clash at Headingley in Leeds and a further three days on the Riverside, Chester-le-Street is the venue for the third ODI.

A showdown at the Home of Cricket, Lord's, is next up on Friday September 27, before the series and the tour draw to a close on Sunday September 29 at the County Ground in Bristol.

Bristol has hosted just two previous ODIs between Australia and England and it is one win apiece for both sides from the games played in 2001 and 2005.