During their respective tours to Australia, both India and Sri Lanka will get standard practice facilities.
As detailed in the 2018-19 domestic schedule released yesterday, the world’s top-ranked Test team, India, will begin their attempt at an historic first series win on Australian soil with a three-day warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI at the SCG starting November 29.
Sri Lanka’s two-Test campaign in the new year will also be preceded by a tour game against a CA XI, at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena from January 17-19.
Both visiting teams will be able to utilise Test standard practice facilities and centre-wicket conditions for their sole warm-up fixture of their respective tours recognises the call from the ICC for all member nations to do more to uphold the spirit of cricket.
The outcome is Based on the recommendations from the ICC’s influential cricket committee following its meeting in Mumbai last month to not only foster better relations between teams, but also ensure a fairer on-field contest.
The committee, chaired by former India Test bowler and coach Anil Kumble, therefore identified “clear expectations for the treatment of visiting teams particularly around practice facilities, warm-up matches and logistical arrangements” among items it claimed needed to be addressed.
A number of touring teams around the world in recent years have been faced with sub-standard practice facilities or those that bear little resemblance to the conditions that await them come the start of international matches.
As a result, the ICC has appealed to all member nations to show greater generosity in the belief that better preparation might help address the imbalance that has seen the winning ratio for Test teams away from home slump to just over 25 per cent in the past five years.
