Australia’s T20 tour of NZ set to be cancelled

Seven scheduled white ball games between the Black Caps and Australia this summer are set to become none.

The three-match Twenty20 series between New Zealand and their transTasman men’s cricket rivals due to be played in Napier in March is likely to be cancelled, due to the unavailability and uncertainty of MIQ places and selfisolation restrictions.

That follows the cancellation of the three one-day games and solitary T20 encounter the two sides were set to contest in late January-early February in Australia. That series was abandoned as there were no managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) beds booked for the Black Caps, meaning they had no guarantee when they could return home.

It’s understood New Zealand Cricket has been working through the Government’s most recent border announcement to see if the tour by Australia could go ahead, but it is likely to prove too difficult to arrange and it also appears Cricket Australia is resigned to not sending a team.

That will leave the Black Caps with just two more home series this summer – the two tests against South Africa in Christchurch this month, and one T20 and three one-day internationals versus the Netherlands in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton in late March-early April. New Zealand and Bangladesh drew their twotest series here in January.

The Australian side for the tour was set to be below-strength and coached by current assistant coach Andrew McDonald, with the top side away in Pakistan at the time for three tests, three ODIs and a T20 game.