Cricket Australia CEO hopeful of 'long and productive' Ashes Test at SCG

Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Todd Greenberg is hopeful of having a "long and productive Test match" at the SCG as the ongoing Ashes move to the fag end.

With the series already bagged by the hosts, the New Year's Test in Sydney presents an opportunity for the tourists to salvage some of their pride and grab a few points to move up on the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) table.

"I've had more phone calls and conversations about wickets and millimetres of grass than I thought I'd ever have," Greenberg was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. "But I'm hopeful and confident we will have a long and productive Test match here."

The 2025-26 Ashes series hasn't quite transpired as Cricket Australia anticipated, with the series opener in Perth and the Boxing Day Test ending inside two days. Those two results cost Cricket Australia millions as they had to issue refunds to fans who had bought tickets for day three at both venues.

SCG curator 'really happy' with pitch prep 

Sydney Cricket Ground's chief curator, Adam Lewis, has expressed satisfaction with their preparation for the pitch at the venue for the final Ashes Test. 

Lewis is under a tremendous amount of pressure after his counterpart at the MCG, Matt Page, came under plenty of scrutiny following an ephemeral end to the MCG Test.

"You want to see green tinge three days out," Lewis said.  "If you're not seeing any live grass three days out, then that's when [it's a worry] … I'm really comfortable with where we're sitting.

"We had a little bit of sun this morning. They're saying a bit more sun tomorrow. That will take the greenness out of the pitch. We're really happy with the pitches at the moment. We're looking good."

Notably, the previous Test at the SCG, which was played between India and Australia, had ended in just two and a half days after the hosts chased 162 down for the loss of four wickets.