Boxing Day test returns to Basin after seven years

Cancel your Christmas holiday.

The popular Boxing Day test is returning to the Basin Reserve after a seven-year hiatus.

The opponents will be Pakistan, who New Zealand are hosting in December-January.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan stressed the schedule for next summer was still to be confirmed but Wellington's iconic cricket ground is almost certain to get the nod for Boxing Day.

"When you look at the schedules Pakistan are due to arrive here in mid-December and stay until the end of January," Vaughan said.

"Obviously with a World Cup around the corner [February in Asia] we will be looking to load the test matches up to the front so they will be played in December-January with the one-dayers after that, so the idea of the Boxing Day test is on the horizon."

Asked to rate the Basin's prospects of hosting a Boxing Day test, Vaughan said "pretty good".

However, it was unlikely the Boxing Day test would become a permanent fixture on the summer calendar like it was between 1998 and 2003.

"I don't think we can commit to it every year," Vaughan said.

"This is a peculiarity of scheduling and it is something we are looking at, at the moment."

Vaughan expects the Pakistan tour dates will be fixed by the end of next month but said both teams wanted the one-dayers at the end as a lead-in to the World Cup.

The Pakistan tour schedule was likely to include three tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match, Vaughan said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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