PM's XI shock: Canberra loses historic match after request from rivals

Canberra's historic annual Prime Minister's XI match will not be held at Manuka Oval for the first time in 75 years of the fixture's existence.

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In a shock move less than a year after England's Test team completely snubbed the iconic game, Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday night the next iteration will be played in Melbourne on March 4-6 next year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Manuka Oval in 2023. Picture by Keegan Carroll

What is being described as a "one-off" PM's XI move to Melbourne will make the game part of a week-long festival of cricket amid the 150th Anniversary Test on March 11-15, between England and Australia.

The change will ignite debate in the capital after watching the fixture decline in popularity and meaning over the past 15 years.

It was once the jewel in the Canberra cricket crown - with some of the country's best combining their talents to play against a touring side.

But it has slowly transformed into a developmental game with limited star power and crowds have dwindled as Canberra's international cricket and Big Bash offerings expanded.

The decline was highlighted last year when England snubbed the game and sent their Test team from Perth to Brisbane instead of stopping in Canberra. England crashed in the Ashes and their preparation was slammed, and Canberra fans were dudded by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Now the under-siege England team - Stokes quit this week in the midst of off-field controversy and another series loss - has kicked the PM's XI game once more.

The England Cricket Board made a request to Cricket Australia to see if the PM's XI pink-ball match could be held closer to the MCG to give the visitors the best possible preparation for the Anniversary Test, and help facilitate them fielding their strongest lineup.

Cricket Australia officials have assured Canberrans that the change is temporary. The new location was agreed to by both parties with the understanding that the England Cricket Board would then provide the best possible lead-in for the Australian Test squad at next year's Ashes series in the United Kingdom.

It is hoped that the decision to snatch the PM's XI from its traditional home in Canberra will also revive the relevance and significance of the historic fixture as a valuable feature on Australia's cricket calendar.

At the last PM's XI in Canberra in November, England controversially played their touring squad at Manuka Oval, with the first-choice lineup instead travelling to Noosa for a now infamous bonding trip ahead of the Ashes series that Australia eventually won, 4-1.

This summer Manuka Oval will host a men's Twenty20 international between Australia and England on December 2, and a women's fixture between Australia and New Zealand on February 24 next year. Two Sydney Thunder matches in the Big Bash League will also take place in Canberra.

While the decision is a blow to cricket fans in the Canberra region that enjoy attending the PM's XI every year at Manuka Oval, the tradition of a player from the ACT being included in the squad will remain.

"It was anticipated some fans in the ACT would be disappointed by the change, but the rarity and magnitude of the 150th Anniversary Test and England's request for preparation warranted the move," a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.

Cricket Australia said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office supported moving the fixture to Melbourne.

Canberra will not host the next PM's XI. Picture by Keegan Carroll

Canberra has hosted the PM's XI since 1951 when the cricket match was first established by Sir Robert Menzies. The Prime Minister each year plays a role alongside Australian selectors in deciding the squad, and often attends the match. Last year Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was at the Canberra match in Albanese's absence.

"I'm delighted the Prime Minister's XI will once again take on England and play an important role in the lead-up to the 150th Anniversary Test," Albanese said of the one-off move from Canberra to Melbourne.

"The Prime Minister's XI match has a proud place in Australian cricket history and it's fitting the XI will take on the best England can throw at us ahead of the one-off Test.

"The 150th Anniversary Test will be a special occasion for cricket fans across Australia and around the world, and I look forward to helping select a Prime Minister's XI that will provide a terrific contest in the lead-up to that historic match."

Deputy PM Richard Marles at last year's PM's XI. Picture by Keegan Carroll

Cricket Australia said big crowds are expected at the PM's XI at Junction Oval, which will be followed on the Monday 8 and Wednesday 10 March by two one-day internationals between Australia and New Zealand, before the Anniversary Test begins on March 11.

"We are confident there will be big crowds at the Junction Oval to see the PM's XI take on a full-strength England team as they prepare for the challenge of facing Australia in the 150th Anniversary Test match.

"We thank Prime Minister Albanese for his ongoing support of this cherished fixture and for his strong support of Australian cricket more broadly."

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