Australia's Boxing Day and New Year's Tests under threat

The future of Australia's Boxing Day and New Year's Tests in Melbourne and Sydney cannot be guaranteed beyond 2008, according to a report due to be presented to the ICC next week.

Eight of the 10 Test-playing nations, including Australia, share the same main season, and countries are becoming increasingly unhappy at Australia's monopoly.

"We've got a traditional season that we've been operating for a long while, and we're keen to keep working with other nations to do that," Peter Young, Cricket Australia's media manager told The Australian. "The Boxing Day Test and the New Year's Test are iconic parts of the Australian summer."

South Africa, who also have their own Boxing Day and New Year's Tests - except when they play in Australia - submitted a complaint to the ICC to request a review of the games' scheduling. This prompted the ICC to form a committee, led by their chairman Malcolm Gray, and the resulting recommendations will be submitted to the ICC's executive boards at the annual meeting in London next week.

"The South African submission was along the line of concern that the existing scheduling and arrangements are equitable," Gray said, "and the West Indian submission was based on their financial situation, putting forward that under existing arrangements it doesn't afford them sufficient financial support."

But the impact on Australia would be significant if, after 2008, their two bumper Tests could not be guaranteed. CA and the Australian government commissioned a report that was released earlier this month that revealed the Boxing Day Test against England in December generated $86.4m for Victoria's economy, even though it only lasted three days.