LONDON: The Women’s Ashes series has been brought forward by a week to allow Australia and England to meet quarantine requirements ahead of the ODI World Cup in New Zealand in March, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.

       A 10-day mandatory quarantine is required before the March 4-April 3 World Cup, where holders England will begin their title defence against six-times champions Australia.

       The multi-format Ashes series was scheduled to start with a standalone Test match in Canberra’s Manuka Oval on Jan 27 and conclude on Feb 19 but will now begin on Jan 20 with the first of three Twenty20 Internationals at the Adelaide Oval.

       The Test will be played on its scheduled date with Canberra also hosting the first One-day International on Feb 3 before Melbourne’s Junction Oval stages the remaining two ODIs on Feb 6 and Feb 8.

       Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2022