Bangladesh set for historic Australia tour after 23 years

Bangladesh are gearing up for a long-awaited red-ball return to Australian soil, with the two-match Test series in August now officially locked in under the ICC Future Tours Programme.

The series will count toward the ICC World Test Championship, adding extra intensity to the contest.

The first Test will be played from August 13–17 at Marrara Stadium in Darwin — a venue making its return to Test cricket after more than two decades. The second Test, scheduled for August 22–26, will take place at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, which is set to host its maiden Test match.

It will be Bangladesh’s first Test tour of Australia since 2003, ending a 23-year wait. The two teams last faced off in a Test series in 2017, while a planned series in 2020 was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Darwin has staged only two Tests in history — against Bangladesh in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2004 — making this return a notable moment for the venue. Mackay, meanwhile, will script history as it enters the Test arena for the first time, and it will be Queensland’s only Test next season.

With World Test Championship points on the line and fresh venues adding intrigue, the series promises to be a compelling chapter in Bangladesh’s overseas red-ball journey.

Before heading Down Under, Australia are scheduled to tour Bangladesh in June for a white-ball series featuring ODIs and T20Is, setting the stage for a busy and competitive year between the two sides.