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Nine to broadcast UK limited-overs series

Australia's upcoming white-ball tour against England to be shown live on the Nine Network

Australia's first series under new coach Justin Langer will be shown live on the Nine Network as part of an existing deal between the broadcaster and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Nine will no longer broadcast cricket during the Australian summer after Cricket Australia signed a new $1.182 billion, six-year agreement with the Seven Network and Fox Sports earlier this year.

But Nine's association with cricket won't end completely, starting with Australia's Qantas Tour of the UK next month that will feature five ODIs and one T20 against England.

In 2013, Nine signed a deal with the ECB to broadcast Australia's 2015 and 2019 Ashes tours to the UK, including all Tests, ODIs and T20s.

Australia's limited overs matches in England have traditionally been played before or, as was the case in 2015, immediately after the Ashes Tests.

But given next year's World Cup will be staged in the UK prior to the 2019 Ashes series, it was decided to move the white-ball games forward to this year to provide some crucial match practice ahead of the showpiece event.

It means Nine owns the rights to broadcast next month's tour and there will be no white-ball matches following the Ashes Tests next year.

The broadcast rights to international cricket are sold by the board of the host nation, while the rights to major tournaments like the World Cup are sold by the International Cricket Council.

In addition to Nine's deal with the ECB that will see them broadcast the upcoming tour and the 2019 Ashes Tests, they also have an existing deal with the ICC to broadcast part of next year's World Cup, the 2018 Women's World T20 in the Caribbean and the men's and women's World T20 in Australia in 2020.

Four of Australia's five ODIs in England will be broadcast on 9GEM - the second match of the series will be shown on Nine's main channel - while the one-off T20 at Edgbaston will also be shown on 9GEM.

Broadcast details for the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe have yet to be confirmed, while Fox Sports will show Australia's matches against Pakistan in the UAE although no shedule has been confirmed for that tour. 

Qantas tours of England and Zimbabwe

ODI squad: Tim Paine (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth

Qantas Tour of England

June 7: Warm-up v Sussex, Hove (D/N)

June 9: Warm-up v Middlesex, Lord's

June 13: First ODI, The Oval (D/N)

June 16: Second ODI, Cardiff

June 19: Third ODI, Trent Bridge (D/N)

June 21: Fourth ODI, Durham (D/N)

June 24: Fifth ODI, Old Trafford

June 27: Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

Qantas T20I tri-series Tour of Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Monday, July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

Tuesday, July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Wednesday, July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Thursday, July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

Friday, July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe