A number of multi format Australian stars will not have a single red ball preparation match ahead of the first Test against the West Indies.
Cricket Australia released their domestic schedule on Wednesday morning, although BBL and WBBL fixtures are still yet to be confirmed.
Red ball specialists will get up to four games of Sheffield Shield cricket in ahead of the opening Test, with the domestic competition to start on October 3. The Marsh One-Day Cup begins a little earlier on September 23, with all six states to be involved in two rounds - between September 23 and October 1- before the first ball of the Shield a few days later.
However, with a struggle for available playing dates, a T20 World Cup wedged into the start of the summer and a number of white ball series starting from the end of August when Australia play Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Cairns and Townsville, there is no room for players like David Warner, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins to get any red ball practice in at domestic level.
Cricket Australia's head of cricket operations and scheduling Peter Roach told Cricket.com.au however that it wasn't the new norm however.
"Our hope is that you can have a perfectly planned schedule that allows for preparation before a big Test series," Roach told cricket.com.au.
"Players have no doubt become more adaptable over the last couple of years โฆ (and) what we do know is our coaches, selectors and (High Performance General Manager) Ben Oliver will look at the individual management of each player to make sure they're ready to go every time they represent Australia."
Under the new season calendar, the Sheffield Shield goes back to being a full home-and-away ten-round season, while the One-Day Cup will feature seven games per state before a final, bafflingly placed on a Wednesday - March 8.
Cricket Australia have also confirmed 13 One-Day Cup games will be broadcast by Fox Sports, as well as the Sheffield Shield final, which will be played in the traditional five-day format from March 23.
Full domestic cricket schedule
Note: All times AEDT, or AEST outside of daylight savings
In the broadcast column, CA refers to a Cricket Australia live stream, while Fox refers to Fox Cricket.
September
Competition | Date | Time | Home | Away | Venue | TV |
OD Cup | Fri Sep 23 | 10:05am | Victoria Bushrangers | New South Wales Blues | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | Fox |
WNCL | Fri Sep 23 | 10:30am | South Australia Scorpions | Victoria Women | Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
WNCL | Fri Sep 23 | 2:00pm | New South Wales Breakers | Queensland Fire | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
WNCL | Fri Sep 23 | 4:00pm | Western Australia women | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | WACA Ground, Perth | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
WNCL | Sun Sep 25 | 10:00am | New South Wales Breakers | Queensland Fire | Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
OD Cup | Sun Sep 25 | 10:05am | Victoria Bushrangers | Western Australia Warriors | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | Fox |
WNCL | Sun Sep 25 | 10:30am | South Australia Scorpions | Victoria Women | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
WNCL | Sun Sep 25 | 12:00pm | Western Australia women | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | WACA Ground, Perth | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
OD Cup | Mon Sep 26 | 2:05pm | Queensland Bulls | South Australia Redbacks | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | Fox |
OD Cup | Wed Sep 28 | 2:05pm | South Australia Redbacks | Tasmania Tigers | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | Fox |
WNCL | Fri Sep 30 | 2:00pm | New South Wales Breakers | Western Australia women | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | cricket.com.au"}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://cricket.com.au/">CA |
OD Cup | Fri Sep 30 | 2:05pm | Queensland Bulls | Tasmania Tigers | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | Fox |
October
Competition | Date | Time | Home | Away | Venue | TV |
WNCL | Sat Oct 1 | 9:30am | Queensland Fire | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | TBC | CA |
OD Cup | Sat Oct 1 | 12:05pm | Western Australia Warriors | New South Wales Blues | WACA Ground, Perth | Fox |
WNCL | Sun Oct 2 | 10:00am | New South Wales Breakers | Western Australia Women | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | CA |
WNCL | Mon Oct 3 | 10:30am | Queensland Fire | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | TBC | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Mon Oct 3 - Thu Oct 6 | 1:30pm | Western Australia Warriors | New South Wales Blues | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
WNCL | Tue Oct 4 | 10:00am | Victoria Women | Tasmania Tigers Women | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
WNCL | Thu Oct 6 | 10:00am | Victoria Women | Tasmania Tigers Women | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Oct 6 - Sun Oct 9 | 11:00am | Queensland Bulls | Tasmania Tigers | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Oct 6 - Sun Oct 9 | 11:00am | South Australia Redbacks | Victoria Men | Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Sun Oct 16 - Wed Oct 19 | 11:00am | South Australia Redbacks | Tasmania Tigers | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Mon Oct 17 - Thu Oct 20 | 10:30am | Victoria Men | Western Australia Warriors | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Tue Oct 18 - Fri Oct 21 | 10:30am | New South Wales Blues | Queensland Bulls | Drummoyne Oval, Sydney | CA |
OD Cup | Fri Oct 21 | 10:30am | South Australia Redbacks | Tasmania Tigers | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | CA |
OD Cup | Sat Oct 22 | 10:00am | Victoria Men | Western Australia Warriors | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
OD Cup | Wed Oct 26 | 10:00am | Tasmania Tigers | Victoria Men | UTAS Stadium, Launceston | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Sat Oct 29 - Tue Nov 1 | 10:30am | Tasmania Tigers | Victoria Men | Blundstone Arena, Hobart | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Mon Oct 31 - Thu Nov 3 | 10:30am | New South Wales Blues | South Australia Redbacks | North Dalton Park, Wollongong | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Mon Oct 31 - Thu Nov 3 | 1:30pm | Western Australia Warriors | Queensland Bulls | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
November
Competition | Date | Time | Home | Away | Venue | TV |
OD Cup | Sat Nov 5 | 10:00am | New South Wales Blues | South Australia Redbacks | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | CA |
OD Cup | Sat Nov 5 | 1:00pm | Western Australia Warriors | Queensland Bulls | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Nov 10 - Sun Nov 13 | 11:00am | Queensland Bulls | Victoria Men | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Fri Nov 11 - Mon Nov 14 | 1:30pm | Western Australia Warriors | South Australia Redbacks | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Sat Nov 12 - Tue Nov 16 | 10:30am | Tasmania Tigers Men | New South Wales Blues | Blundstone Arena, Hobart | CA |
OD Cup | Tue Nov 15 | 11:05am | Queensland Bulls | Victoria Men | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | Fox |
OD Cup | Wed Nov 16 | 1:00pm | Western Australia Warriors | South Australia Redbacks | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
OD Cup | Thu Nov 17 | 10:00am | Tasmania Tigers Men | New South Wales Blues | Blundstone Arena, Hobart | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Sun Nov 20 - Wed Nov 23 | 11:00am | South Australia Redbacks | Queensland Bulls | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Tue Nov 22 - Fri Nov 25 | 10:30am | New South Wales Blues | Western Australia Warriors | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Nov 24 - Sun Nov 27 | 10:30am | Victoria Men | Tasmania Tigers Men | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | CA |
OD Cup | Sun Nov 27 | 2:05pm | New South Wales Blues | Queensland Bulls | North Sydney Oval, Sydney | Fox |
December
Competition | Date | Time | Home | Away | Venue | TV |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Dec 1 - Sun Dec 4 | 10:30am | Victoria Men | New South Wales Blues | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Dec 1 - Sun Dec 4 | 10:30am | Tasmania Tigers Men | South Australia Redbacks | Blundstone Arena, Hobart | CA |
Sheffield Shield | Thu Dec 1 - Sun Dec 4 | 11:00am | Queensland Bulls | Western Australia Warriors | The Gabba, Brisbane | CA |
WNCL | Sun Dec 18 | 10:00am | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | South Australia Scorpions | TBC | CA |
WNCL | Tue Dec 20 | 10:00am | Tasmania Tigers Women | New South Wales Breakers | TBC | CA |
WNCL | Tue Dec 20 | 10:00am | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | South Australia Scorpions | TBC | CA |
WNCL | Tue Dec 20 | 10:00am | Tasmania Tigers Women | New South Wales Breakers | TBC | CA |
WNCL | Wed Dec 21 | 5:00pm | Western Australia Women | Queensland Fire | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
WNCL | Fri Dec 23 | 5:00pm | Western Australia Women | Queensland Fire | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
January
Competition | Date | Time | Home | Away | Venue | TV |
WNCL | Wed Jan 4 | 11:00am | Queensland Fire | Tasmania Tigers Women | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | CA |
WNCL | Wed Jan 4 | 5:00pm | Western Australia Women | South Australia Scorpions | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
WNCL | Thu Jan 5 | 10:00am | Victoria Women | New South Wales Breakers | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
WNCL | Fri Jan 6 | 11:00am | Queensland Fire | Tasmania Tigers Women | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | CA |
WNCL | Fri Jan 6 | 5:00pm | Western Australia Women | South Australia Scorpions | WACA Ground, Perth | CA |
WNCL | Sat Jan 7 | 10:00am | Victoria Women | New South Wales Breakers | CitiPower Centre, St Kilda | CA |
WNCL | Tue Jan 17 | 11:00am | Queensland Fire | Victoria Women | Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane | CA |
WNCL | Thu Jan 19 | 10:00am | Australian Capital Territory Meteors | Tasmania Tigers Women | TBC | CA |
WNCL | Thu Jan 19 | 10:30am | South Australia Scorpions | New South Wales Breakers | Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide | CA |
WNCL | Thu Jan 19 | 11:00am | Queensland Fire | Victoria Women | Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane | CA |
WNCL | Sun Jan 21 | 10:00am | Australian Capital Territory Meteors |