The return of winter Test cricket to the Top End, a return to South Africa for Test matches and T20 World Cups for both Aussie teams headline an action packed 2026 for Australian cricket fans. 

The Aussie men have wrapped up the Ashes again at home, with a 3-1 lead before the 2026 calendar year begins with the Pink Test in Sydney in front of sold-out crowds, and a healthy lead in the World Test Championship standings. 

Attention for international cricket will then turn to Australia's women who host India for a blockbuster multi-format series in February and March, concluding with a day-night Test match at the WACA Ground. 

A tilt at a second men's T20 World Cup title will also begin in February with the tournament hosted in Sri Lanka and India - after a three-game warm-up series in Pakistan, a country the Aussie men will return to mid-year for a series of ODI matches on an overseas jaunt that will also include white-ball games in Bangladesh.

But Aussie fans won't have to spend the winter just watching their heroes play abroad late at night, with two Tests against Bangladesh scheduled for at home in August, expected to be played in Darwin and Mackay. When confirmed, it will mark the first Test cricket in the Northern Territory since July 2004 when Sri Lanka visited, while Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Arena will become Australia's 12th Test venue. 

That will be Queensland's only Test match cricket for the 2026-27 season, with the marquee summer Tests against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand to be played in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and, in early 2027, Sydney. 

The coming year will also see Australia play their first bilateral white-ball fixtures against Zimbabwe since 2014 before a highly anticipated tour of South Africa that will see three Test matches played, Australia's first in the country since the infamous events of 2018.

Also to look out for in 2026 will be confirmation of the extenstion of the ICC's men's Future Tours Program that will set out the blueprint for all international cricket between 2027 and 2031. The current women's FTP, last published in late 2024, runs until April 2029. 

The final confirmed dates and venues for a number of series are yet to be locked in, but here's a rundown of how the international cricket calendar is shaping up for Aussie men and women.

Australia Men in 2026

January 4-8: Fifth Ashes Test, SCG, 10:30am AEDT

✈️ Jan 29: First T20 v Pakistan, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 10pm AEDT

✈️ Jan 31: Second T20 v Pakistan, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 10pm AEDT

✈️ Feb 1: Third T20 v Pakistan, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 10pm AEDT

✈️ February: ICC Men's T20 World Cup

February 11: v Ireland, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (8:30pm AEDT)

 

February 13: v Zimbabwe, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (4:30pm AEDT)

 

February 16: v Sri Lanka, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy (Feb 17, 12:30am AEDT)

 

February 20: v Oman, Pallekele International Stadium, Kandy (Feb 21, 12:30am AEDT)

✈️ June: Three ODIs tour of Pakistan

✈️ June: Three ODIs and three T20Is tour of Bangladesh

August 13-17: First Test v Bangladesh, Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 10:30am AEST

August 22-26: Second Test v Bangladesh, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am AEST

✈️ September 15: First ODI v Zimbabwe, Harare Sports Club, 5:30pm AEST

✈️ September 18: Second ODI v Zimbabwe, Harare Sports Club, 5:30pm AEST

✈️ September 20: Third ODI v Zimbabwe, Harare Sports Club, 5:30pm AEST

✈️ September 24: First ODI v South Africa, Kingsmead, Durban, 6pm AEST

✈️ September 27: Second ODI v South Africa, Wanderers, Johannesburg, 6pm AEST

✈️ September 30: Third ODI v South Africa, Potchefstroom, 9:30pm AEST

✈️ October 9-14: First Test v South Africa, Kingsmead, Durban, 6:30pm AEDT

✈️ October 18-23: Second Test v South Africa, St George's Park, Gqeberha, 7pm AEDT

✈️ October 27-November 1: Third Test v South Africa, Newlands, Cape Town, 7pm AEDT

November 13: First ODI v England, Adelaide Oval, 2:30pm AEDT

November 15: Second ODI v England, Perth Stadium, 2:30pm AEDT

November 18: Third ODI v England, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:30pm AEDT

November 21: First T20I v England, MCG, Melbourne, 7:15pm AEDT

November 24: Second T20I v England, Gold Coast Stadium, 7:15pm AEDT

November 27: Third T20I v England, The Gabba, Brisbane, 7:15pm AEDT

November 29: Fourth T20I v England, SCG, Sydney, 7:15pm AEDT

December 2: Fifth T20I v England, Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7:15pm AEDT

December 9-13: First Test v New Zealand, Perth Stadium, 1:20pm AEDT

December 17-21: Second Test v New Zealand, Adelaide Oval, 11:30am AEDT

December 26-30: Third Test v New Zealand, MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Australia Women in 2026

February 15: First T20 v India, SCG, 7:15pm AEDT

February 19: Second T20 v India, Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7:15pm AEDT

February 21: Third T20 v India, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm AEDT

February 24: First ODI v India, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT

February 27: Second ODI v India, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT

March 1: Third ODI v India, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT

March 6-9: Test match v India, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)

✈️ March 20: First T20I v West Indies, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 19, 7:30pm local)

✈️ March 22: Second T20I v West Indies, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 21, 7:30pm local)

✈️ March 24: Third T20I v West Indies, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 23, 7:30pm local

✈️ March 28: First ODI v West Indies, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 27, 3pm local)

✈️ March 30: Second ODI v West Indies, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 29, 3pm local)

✈️ April 3: Third ODI v West Indies, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (April 2, 3pm local)

✈️ June-July: ICC Women's T20 World Cup

June 13: v South Africa, Old Trafford, 11:30pm AEST

 

June 17: v Bangladesh, Headingley, 7:30pm AEST

 

June 20: v Netherlands, Rose Bowl, Southampton, 7:30pm AEST

 

June 23: v Pakistan, Headingley, 3:30am AEST June 24

 

June 28: v India, Lord's, 11:30pm AEST

October 9: First ODI v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT (D/N)

October 11: Second ODI v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT (D/N)

October 14: Third ODI v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT (D/N)

✈️ December: Three ODIs tour of Sri Lanka

✈️ indicates series played outside Australia