Cricket Australia has completed a dramatic reversal on Australia Day, confirming elite cricket will return to January 26 after a two-year absence – but fans might not hear the national anthem before the biggest Big Bash match of the summer.
The governing body has scheduled the 2026-27 Big Bash League final for Australia Day, ending two years without a major domestic fixture on the national holiday.
However, BBL executive general manager Alistair Dobson revealed the final is unlikely to feature Advance Australia Fair unless the host city specifically requests it.
‘We haven’t historically had too much in the way of ceremony and anthems at the BBL final unlike some other codes,’ Dobson said.
‘That is likely to be the way that continues, just because the BBL final is a formula we have had going for 15 years now.’
The comments mark the latest chapter in the governing body’s long-running Australia Day debate, which has sparked fierce criticism from players, politicians and fans in recent years.
Cricket will return to Australia Day after two summers without a major match scheduled on January 26
The Big Bash final is set for January 26 as Cricket Australia reverses its stance after stars like (left to right) Usman Khawaja, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne couldn’t play elite matches on the country’s national holiday
Dobson said January 26 remained the most suitable date for the final because it falls immediately after the opening Test between Australia and India.
He also stressed Cricket Australia would continue consulting with its National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Committee and the eventual host club to ensure the occasion was handled appropriately.
‘We acknowledge that January 26 means different things to different people,’ Dobson said.
‘We’ll work closely with the advisory committee and the host club around how we recognise that day.’
The decision represents a significant shift from Cricket Australia’s position only two years ago.
In January 2024, then-chief executive Nick Hockley defended the organisation’s decision not to use the words ‘Australia Day’ during the Gabba Test between Australia and the West Indies.
The policy prompted a bruising radio interview with 2GB host Ben Fordham, who repeatedly questioned why Cricket Australia would not acknowledge the national holiday.
Hockley insisted the organisation was not boycotting the day.
CA boss Todd Greenberg (pictured) previously promised cricket would return to Australia Day
Cricket Australia says it will consult Indigenous advisers before finalising how the occasion is recognised
‘We are not in any way boycotting Australia Day, we’re just mindful in our communications that it means different things to different people,’ he said.
‘We appreciate that many Australians celebrate Australia Day and absolutely love watching the cricket on that day.’
When asked whether spectators would hear the words ‘Australia Day’ over the Gabba loudspeaker, Hockley replied: ‘I don’t believe so.’
The controversy intensified after Hockley confirmed Cricket Australia had quietly removed references to Australia Day from its communications over the previous five years following consultation with Indigenous players and its advisory board.
The following December, newly appointed chief executive Todd Greenberg struck a markedly different tone.
He pledged that cricket would once again be played on Australia Day while recognising the date’s significance for different Australians.
‘Oh, no, we will be celebrating it, absolutely,’ Greenberg told 2GB.
‘For those who want to celebrate it, they are more than welcome to – and a day at the cricket is probably the best way to do it.’
‘When I say “respectfully”, it’s just making sure that we understand that the day means different things to different people. And making sure we find a balance there.’
Fordham responded to the backflip on Monday, saying ‘we’ve had a win’.
‘Well done to Todd Greenberg, he said he would do it,’ Fordham continued.
‘Common sense prevails.’
