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‘Women’s cricket is being lost’ – Why are Australia Women players demanding changes to their summer schedule?

Australia’s women’s cricket team is facing growing pressure over its summer schedule, with key players and officials calling for greater visibility and engagement during peak cricket season. The team’s home campaign begins this week with three ODIs against Bangladesh—a first for the visiting side in Australia—followed by three T20Is against New Zealand later in the month.

However, after these nine matches, the next bilateral series won’t occur until March, leaving a significant gap in the domestic calendar. Meanwhile, the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) is slated to run from late October to early December, meaning no international or domestic women’s cricket will be played during Australia’s school holidays (December to January).

In stark contrast, the men’s team will host New Zealand’s entire four-match Test series during that same period, alongside the Big Bash tournament. Stars like Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney, alongside head coach Shelley Nitschke, have criticized the lack of fan turnout and marketing efforts, arguing that women’s cricket must be positioned as a mainstream summer attraction.

With Cricket Australia exploring privatization of the Big Bash, concerns have risen over whether the women’s game will be sidelined further or integrated into a more competitive summer schedule.

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