Afghanistan still alive in the line-up for summer Test assignments

AFGHANISTAN appears to have survived as the first Test of the summer, as Cricket Australia bid to deliver Channel 7 a revised schedule as early as next week.

Australia’s summer of cricket is starting to shape, with the historic one-off Test against Afghanistan likely to take

BEN HORNE

place in early December despite many having written it off as an impossibility.

There are still talks that need to take place with the allpowerful BCCI before a schedule is locked in, but one scenario could see Australia and India play a white ball series after players return from the IPL in late November. Then Australia could play Afghanistan

in a Test, while India plays their own red ball warmup, before the two heavyweights launch into their fourTest series, which could span further into January than originally planned.

Cricket Australia are fighting hard to deliver a full Sheffield Shield season, and it’s hoped a couple of rounds could take place before the Test summer in a hub in Adelaide. The women’s Big Bash will also happen in a hub, potentially with all matches played out of Sydney.

Channel 7 boss James Warburton took aim at CA on Tuesday for dragging the chain on releasing a schedule and not providing any clarity on what the summer might look like. But News Corp understands Cricket Australia are nearing a point where they can release a revised schedule, and are awaiting Government approvals and final conversations with India.

India’s clear preference is to play the white ball matches ahead of the Tests.

It means Boxing Day might end up as the second Test against India.