Perth is almost certain to lose the fifth Ashes Test, with the Western Australian government confirming hardline quarantine procedures on Tuesday.
It means any players and staff heading to Perth for the Test would be forced into quarantine for 14 days.
With the Perth Test set to start just five days after the fourth Test in Sydney finishes, it means Cricket Australia will have no choice but to set the Test free from the Western Australian capital and find a new home for the potential series decider.
Plenty of options have been thrown up in the last 48 hours as to where the Test should be played, and while Perth were originally confident of hosting the match with reduced quarantine procedures, it would appear the outbreak of the new COVID variant in Sydney has scuppered those plans.
With doubt hanging over Perth hosting a Test for weeks though, Tasmania have already put their hand up to host the match, while Caberra, who have hosted matches over the past few years and are in line to host the Test in the Women’s Ashes this year, could also be an option.
The last 24 hours has brought about other reports though - that it could be a day-night Test in Melbourne, giving the Victorian capital a second Test for the series.
It has also been reported that the ECB would prefer a Day-Night test in Melbourne rather than a trip to Tasmania, but handing Melbourne a second Test when other cities are willing and perfectly capable of hosting the Ashes would be wrong on plenty of levels.
Dealing with the Day-Night discussion first though, and it’s clear that’s what the Test will be if it’s held on the eastern seaboard.
The dates of the Perth Test mean the majority of the population will be back at work after the two-week Christmas and New Year break - that means a Test held during daylight hours will see reduced crowds and TV ratings.
From a broadcaster point of view, a Test in Perth would have allowed them to play the final session in prime time, increasing the number of eye balls able to tune into the action.
Playing a Day-Night Test as the series decider may not be the ideal outcome, but it would take that to the next level, with a finish time of around 10pm on the east coast allowing fans to attend or watch the game from home.
Not only that, but England also would be suited to a Day-Night Test, with their hours of play for a regular 10:30am start being 11:30pm through to 7am, while a Day-Night Test starting at 2:30pm would equate to 3:30am to 11am in England, meaning fans could comfortably watch most of the last two sessions.
But being a Day-Night Test doesn’t mean it has to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It might be Australia’s biggest and best venue - and a venue more than capable of hosting an Ashes decider at that - but it doesn’t mean it should.
Melbourne already gets the Boxing Day Test, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar.
Hobart regularly misses out on Tests, and is the only Australian state capital city to do so, while Canberra as the capital of a Territory has proven itself capable of hosting world-class cricket events, including a Big Bash League final some years ago.
What’s more, either Hobart or Canberra would be perfectly capable of hosting a Day-Night Test, if that is what the requirement is.
Both venues have world-class lighting facilities and have hosted Day-Night limited overs games. For two relatively neglected cities from a Cricket Australia point of view, it would be the perfect way to say sorry and return fans to the sport.
Hobart is probably the winner when it comes to this discussion, but either venue works fine, so long as Cricket Australia don’t go for a second MCG Test.
