Overview
- At a New Year’s reception at Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister urged Australia and England to avoid another short match, with Glenn McGrath speaking and Cricket Australia leaders Todd Greenberg and Mike Baird in attendance.
- Players reported a very green SCG wicket at training, and Venues NSW’s David Gallop conferred with chief curator Adam Lewis as grass cover was expected to be reduced before play.
- Australia enter Sydney with an unassailable 3–1 lead after retaining the Ashes, while England’s Boxing Day victory at the MCG ended an 18‑match winless run in Australia.
- Reports have linked this summer’s two‑day finishes to about $15 million in lost revenue and roughly 210,000 fewer spectators, as last year’s Jane McGrath Day raised over $8.5 million for cancer support nurses.
- Usman Khawaja has scheduled a Friday media conference to discuss his playing future after appearing with his family at the Prime Minister’s event.