Bangladesh series may mark Test cricket's return to Australia's Darwin

If selected, Darwin will host its first Test since 2004

Test cricket could return to Darwin for the first time in more than two decades when Australia host Bangladesh in 2026.

Cricket Australia is weighing up Darwin, Mackay, Cairns and Townsville as venues for the two-Test series scheduled for July and August that year. If selected, Darwin would host its first Test since 2004.

The tour was originally set for March 2027 under the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, but was brought forward to avoid a clash with the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which will stage a special match to mark the 150th anniversary of Test cricket.

Australia’s winter conditions mean major stadiums are unavailable at that time of year, leaving regional centres to compete for hosting rights. Darwin, which staged two Tests in the early 2000s, recently returned to the international calendar with two T20s against South Africa, drawing praise from players for its facilities.

"We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars," Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg is quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

"I spent some time with the chief minister there and they've got a strong appetite for more cricket, as have we, to play more cricket there. The conditions up there are amazing when you take out the biggest variable we have in cricket, which is weather, and you have nothing to worry about," he added.

Mackay is also seen as a strong candidate following redevelopment work in 2023, while Cairns and Townsville remain in contention, though weather concerns may weigh against the latter.

The last international series in Darwin was in 2008, when Bangladesh faced Australia in three one-day internationals.