Australia’s Test stars will prepare for this summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign by pitting their red-ball skills against each other during Sheffield Shield matches in October.

On Thursday morning, Cricket Australia unveiled its domestic schedule for the 2024/25 season, confirming dates and venues for the Sheffield Shield, men’s one-day cup, WNCL and newly-announced T20 Spring Challenge.

Four rounds of Sheffield Shield fixtures have been scheduled before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which gets underway at Perth Stadium on November 22.

Pending fitness and workload management, Australia’s Test players should be available for the opening two rounds of the Sheffield Shield before the white-ball series against Pakistan kicks off in early November.

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New South Wales superstars Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith have not played Sheffield Shield cricket since the 2020/21 summer, a four-year drought that could end in October.

The Blues will face South Australia, featuring the likes of Alex Carey and Travis Head, at Silverwater’s Cricket Central from October 8-11 before taking on Victoria at the MCG on October 20-23.

Earlier this year, NSW coach Greg Shipperd declared he would be willing for Smith to open the batting in the Sheffield Shield side to aid preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“I’m sure that’s a conversation we’ll have,” Shipperd told Fox Cricket in March.

“We’ll need to speak to Steve obviously, and co-operate with the Australian cricket team.

“There would be no issue with us finding the right solution for him, whatever that is at that time.

“We’ll flex into that.”

Elsewhere, CA has announced details for the inaugural T20 Spring Challenge, a nine-team tournament that precedes the tenth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League.

The eight WBBL clubs and the ACT Meteors will play a ten-day competition in Sydney and Adelaide in October, compensating for the shortened Big Bash tournament.

“Elite domestic cricket is the backbone of Australian Cricket’s ongoing success, and (the T20 Spring Challenge) added on top of the already strong WNCL and WBBL competitions will allow more players the opportunity to gain top level experience and showcase their talents,”

Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s Head of Cricket Operations and Scheduling, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the men’s one-day final and WNCL final will be played on the same weekend in early March, with the Sheffield Shield finale scheduled for March 26-30.

DOMESTIC FIXTURES FOR 2024/25 SEASON

WNCL

Sep 24: Western Australia vs. Tasmania | WACA Ground

Sep 26: Western Australia vs. Tasmania | WACA Ground

Sep 27: Queensland vs. New South Wales | Allan Border Field

Sep 27: South Australia vs. ACT | Karen Rolton Oval

Sep 29: Queensland vs. New South Wales | Allan Border Field

Sep 29: South Australia vs. ACT | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 3: Queensland vs. Western Australia | Allan Border Field

Oct 4: South Australia vs. Tasmania | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 4: New South Wales vs. Victoria | North Sydney Oval

Oct 5: Queensland vs. Western Australia | Allan Border Field

Oct 6: South Australia vs. Tasmania | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 6: New South Wales vs. Victoria | North Sydney Oval

Dec 14: Tasmania vs. New South Wales | Blundstone Arena

Dec 16: Tasmania vs. New South Wales | Blundstone Arena

Dec 20: ACT vs. Queensland | EPC Solar Park

Dec 20: Victoria vs. South Australia | CitiPower Centre

Dec 22: ACT vs. Queensland | EPC Solar Park

Dec 22: Victoria vs. South Australia | CitiPower Centre

Jan 12: Queensland vs. Tasmania | Allan Border Field

Jan 12: ACT vs. Victoria | EPC Solar Park

Jan 12: Western Australia vs. New South Wales | WACA Ground

Jan 14: Queensland vs. Tasmania | Allan Border Field

Jan 14: ACT vs. Victoria | EPC Solar Park

Jan 14: Western Australia vs. New South Wales | WACA Ground

Jan 27: Victoria vs. Western Australia | CitiPower Centre

Jan 28: South Australia vs. Queensland | Karen Rolton Oval

Jan 29: Victoria vs. Western Australia | CitiPower Centre

Jan 30: South Australia vs. Queensland | Karen Rolton Oval

Jan 30: Tasmania vs. ACT | Blundstone Arena

Feb 1: Tasmania vs. ACT | Blundstone Arena

Feb 7: New South Wales vs. South Australia | Cricket Central

Feb 7: ACT vs. Western Australia | EPC Solar Park

Feb 7: Victoria vs. Queensland | CitiPower Centre

Feb 9: New South Wales vs. South Australia | Cricket Central

Feb 9: ACT vs. Western Australia | EPC Solar Park

Feb 9: Victoria vs. Queensland | CitiPower Centre

Feb 19: New South Wales vs. ACT | Cricket Central

Feb 19: Tasmania vs. Victoria | Blundstone Arena

Feb 19: Western Australia vs. South Australia | WACA Ground

Feb 21: New South Wales vs. ACT | Cricket Central

Feb 21: Tasmania vs. Victoria | Blundstone Arena (D/N)

Feb 21: Western Australia vs. South Australia | WACA Ground

Final — Mar 2: TBC vs. TBC | TBC

T20 Spring Challenge

Oct 11: Sydney Thunder vs. Brisbane Heat | North Sydney Oval

Oct 11: Sydney Sixers vs. ACT Meteors | North Sydney Oval

Oct 11: Melbourne Renegades vs. Hobart Hurricanes | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 11: Adelaide Strikers vs. Perth Scorchers | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 12: ACT Meteors vs. Melbourne Stars | TBC

Oct 12: Sydney Sixers vs. Brisbane Heat | TBC

Oct 12: Melbourne Renegades vs. Perth Scorchers | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 12: Adelaide Strikers vs. Hobart Hurricanes | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 13: Sydney Thunder vs. Melbourne Stars | TBC

Oct 14: ACT Meteors vs. Brisbane Heat | Mosman Oval

Oct 14: Hobart Hurricanes vs. Perth Scorchers | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 15: Sydney Sixers vs. Melbourne Stars | North Sydney Oval

Oct 15: Adelaide Strikers vs. Melbourne Renegades | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 16: ACT Meteors vs. Hobart Hurricanes | Cricket Central

Oct 16: Sydney Thunder vs. Perth Scorchers | Cricket Central

Oct 16: Adelaide Strikers vs. Brisbane Heat | Karen Rolton Oval

Oct 17: Sydney Thunder vs. Sydney Sixers | Cricket Central

Oct 17: Melbourne Renegades vs. Melbourne Stars | Cricket Central

SF1 — Oct 19: First (TBC) vs. Fourth (TBC) | Cricket Central

SF2 — Oct 19: Second (TBC) vs. Third (TBC) | Cricket Central

Final — Oct 20: TBC vs. TBC | Cricket Central

Men’s One-Day Cup

Sep 22: New South Wales vs. Western Australia | Cricket Central

Sep 23: Victoria vs. Tasmania | CitiPower Centre

Sep 24: Western Australia vs. South Australia | Cricket Central

Sep 25: Tasmania vs. Queensland | CitiPower Centre

Sep 26: New South Wales vs. South Australia | Cricket Central

Sep 27: Victoria vs. Queensland | CitiPower Centre

Oct 13: Western Australia vs. Queensland | WACA Ground

Oct 25: Victoria vs. New South Wales | CitiPower Centre

Oct 25: Queensland vs. South Australia | Allan Border Field

Oct 25: Western Australia vs. Tasmania | WACA Ground

Nov 6: South Australia vs. Victoria | Karen Rolton Oval

Nov 12: South Australia vs. New South Wales | Adelaide Oval

Nov 13: Victoria vs. Western Australia | MCG

Dec 3: Tasmania vs. Queensland | Blundstone Arena

Feb 5: Tasmania vs. New South Wales | Blundstone Arena

Feb 13: Queensland vs. New South Wales | Allan Border Field

Feb 13: Tasmania vs. Victoria | Blundstone Arena (D/N)

Feb 13: Western Australia vs. South Australia | WACA Ground

Feb 23: Queensland vs. Western Australia | Gabba

Feb 23: New South Wales vs. Victoria | Cricket Central

Feb 23: South Australia vs. Tasmania | Adelaide Oval

Final — Mar 1: TBC vs. TBC | TBC

Sheffield Shield

Oct 8 – 11: New South Wales vs. South Australia | Cricket Central

Oct 8 – 11: Victoria vs. Tasmania | CitiPower Centre

Oct 8 – 11: Western Australia vs. Queensland | WACA Ground

Oct 20 – 24: Victoria vs. New South Wales | MCG

Oct 20 – 23: Queensland vs. South Australia | Allan Border Field

Oct 20 – 23: Western Australia vs. Tasmania | WACA Ground

Nov 1 – 4: New South Wales vs. Queensland | Cricket Central

Nov 1 – 4: Tasmania vs. Western Australia | Blundstone Arena

Nov 1 – 4: South Australia vs. Victoria | Adelaide Oval

Nov 14 – 17: South Australia vs. New South Wales | Karen Rolton Oval

Nov 15 – 18: Queensland vs. Tasmania | Allan Border Field

Nov 15 – 18: Victoria vs. Western Australia | CitiPower Centre

Nov 23 – 26: South Australia vs. Western Australia | Adelaide Oval

Nov 24 – 27: Queensland vs. Victoria | Gabba

Nov 24 – 27: New South Wales vs. Tasmania | SCG

Dec 6 – 9: New South Wales vs. Western Australia | SCG

Dec 6 – 9: Victoria vs. Queensland | MCG

Dec 6 – 9: Tasmania vs. South Australia | Blundstone Arena

Feb 8 – 11: Queensland vs. New South Wales | Gabba

Feb 8 – 11: Tasmania vs. Victoria | Blundstone Arena

Feb 8 – 11: Western Australia vs. South Australia | WACA Ground

Feb 18 – 21: Queensland vs. Western Australia | Gabba

Feb 18 – 21: New South Wales vs. Victoria | SCG

Feb 18 – 21: South Australia vs. Tasmania | Adelaide Oval

Mar 6 – 9: Victoria vs. South Australia | TBC

Mar 6 – 9: Tasmania vs. Queensland | Blundstone Arena

Mar 6 – 9: Western Australia vs. New South Wales | WACA Ground

Mar 15 – 18: Tasmania vs. New South Wales | Blundstone Arena

Mar 15 – 18: South Australia vs. Queensland | Karen Rolton Oval

Mar 15 – 18: Western Australia vs. Victoria | WACA Ground

Final — Mar 26 – 30: TBC vs. TBC | TBC