Canberra is in contention to host Test cricket for the first time as early as the 2015-16 Australian summer, with a revamped Manuka Oval shaping as a replacement venue for the tiring WACA Ground in Perth.
The WACA Ground may never again host a Test match, with Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council united in their belief the venue no longer meets international standards.
The significant blow the venue received in September, when it was excluded for next summer's four-match series against India, is set to be compounded by warnings from cricket administrators that Tests, and possibly limited-over matches too, could be shifted interstate out of exasperation at the Western Australian Cricket Association's long-stalled attempts to fund a major redevelopment.
Perth's potential loss could be Canberra's gain.
Manuka hosted the Australian team in a one day international for the first time in February this year, having installed broadcast quality lighting that enables it to host day-night matches.
It is currently undergoing the next phase of a planned $35 million renovation by the end of the decade.
The latest upgrade, to be completed by the Prime Minister's XI match against England on January 14, has involved a complete resurfacing of the ground. It will also increase the venue's capacity to in excess of 15,000.
Canberra has never hosted a Test cricket match in the city's 100 year history, but Cricket Australia may need to find a new venue for the three Test series against West Indies and New Zealand in 2015-16.
Despite Channel Nine's enthusiasm for Test matches in Perth, due to the favourable timeslot for eastern-states viewers, and Indian authorities' wish for a Test in Perth CA left it off the list of hosts, primarily due to its poor facilities. At the time the CA hierarchy, which is led by former WACA vice-president Wally Edwards, justified its decision on the basis the WACA Ground had the smallest capacity of venues in hosting contention and that it was in need of "significant improvements".
The $500 million plan that has been planned for almost seven years was officially shelved late on Monday by the WACA.
Officials from CA and the ICC currently in Perth for the third Ashes Test are poised to deliver an adverse review of the venue. It is believed their chief concerns relate to spectator comfort and safety, such as the often-cramped walkways and the necessity for spectators to queue in long lines for water taps and toilets in sweltering temperatures.
While there had been speculation the WACA Ground may miss out on hosting rights for Australia's next home Ashes series in four years, just before the fledgling 60,000 stadium at Burswood is due to be completed, CA is considering leaving Perth off the Test schedule entirely for 2015-16.
A key source of angst between the WACA and CA has been the major redevelopment plan that was agreed in early 2007 but is yet to begin, despite construction having been due to begin in March 2011. That now-defunct plan, strongly supported by WACA president and Test great Dennis Lillee, involved the WACA, which owns the venue, selling parcels of land surrounding the stands to a private developer to build five apartment towers upon them. The proceeds were to be used to fund a major refurbishment.
In that time a major redevelopment of the Adelaide Oval has been approved and is nearing completion, while Hobart's Blundstone Arena is also undergoing a major redevelopment. While both have been assisted by state government funding the WA state government is concentrating on the greenfield stadium at Burswood, which will also host AFL matches.
While as recently as May there was a plan for construction to begin in January, albeit just of one tower, that too has now officially been abandoned, with The West Australian newspaper reporting in October the project was on the verge of collapse. Even inside the WACA the project has been divisive, with businessman George Jones dramatically pulling out of a agreement to succeed David Williams as chairman in August because of a split with other board members over the project. Sam Gannon, who played three Tests for Australia, instead replaced Williams, with Jones quitting the board entirely.
Former Australia captain Kim Hughes' recent urging in The West Australian for the WACA to commit to moving its matches to the Burswood stadium when it is completed, for fear of repercussions from CA if it did not, looks set to be proven correct.
Two days before the WACA Ground match Australia batsman participated in a launch event at Burswood with WA sports minister Terry Waldron.
It is believed the WACA's best hope of retaining hosting rights for international matches would be if it commits to moving to Burswood once the new stadium is completed, or can instead guarantee a prompt redevelopment. The latter, however, would be complicated by the insistence by Cricket World Cup organisers that any construction works do not adversely affect the venue's ability to host its scheduled matches in early 2015.
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