Peter Gutwein,Premier
Tasmania is the best placed State to host the 5th Ashes Test and we’re ramping up our campaign to prove it.
The Tasmanian Government has written to Mr Todd Greenberg, CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, to share with both the Australian and English cricketers just how perfectly positioned our State is to host the Test Match.
The Western Australian Government has made it clear that their borders will not be open by January 14 – the scheduled commencement date – which places the location of the 5th Ashes Test Match in doubt.
I have already written to Cricket Australia offering to host the match and have now also written to Mr Greenberg to make clear to players that Tasmania is prepared and willing to host what would be one of the biggest sporting events our State has seen and, in fact, could be the Test Match that decides the 2021-22 Ashes series.
Tasmania has a strong case to welcome players, officials, and travelling fans without any quarantine requirement or rule changes to the great game.
Playing the match here would represent the first time England has played a Test Match in Tasmania and the event would mark another important step in the great cricket rivalry between our two countries.
The Tasmanian Government, together with Cricket Tasmania, is committed to working with Cricket Australia to make the prospect of hosting the world-class cricket match a reality at Blundstone Arena – the best boutique cricket ground in the world.
We have a fantastic reputation for hosting visitors, and we have shown on multiple occasions that we can successfully host elite sporting content, including hosting the first 20 matches of the 2021 Women’s Big Bash League, as well as several matches of the AFL finals series.
Delivering more elite sporting content for Tasmanians to enjoy is a key priority for the Tasmanian Liberal Government – not only because of the significant boost it delivers to our economy, but also the pathway it provides for our local sportsmen and women.
