Sheffield Shield to exclude pink ball fixtures after India opt against Day-Night Test

Australia's Test players will get up to five Sheffield Shield matches to ready themselves for the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Test series against India. The number is three matches less than they got last season's Ashes. However, there will be no pink-ball cricket in the Shield this season as India has opted against playing a Day-Night Test. This will be the first time in six seasons that the Sheffield Shield won't have pink-ball fixtures since its inception.

The first-class season will begin early with the first round being played on October 16. The first-half of the season will be played with red balls, while the second-half will have English-manufactured Dukes balls being used. The JLT One-Day Cup which will begin on September 16, will have only six participating teams, with them doing away with Cricket Australia XI in the competition. The CA XI was comprised of the best young players from around the country who had missed out on state selection.

CA XI will play a T20 against South Africa on November 14 in Brisbane before three-day tour-matches against India beginning November 29 in SCG and another three-day game against Sri Lanka starting January 17 in Hobart.

Although India refused to play a pink-ball Test, Sri Lanka will partake in a day-night fixture in their two-match Test series, at the Gabba on January 24. It was also announced that Perth's new stadium will host a Shield game between Western Australia and New South Wales, before it hosts India for its maiden Test from December 14.