Martin Pakula, the Victorian Minister for Sport, has revealed that the scheduled Boxing Day Test between Australia and India will almost certainly be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this year.
And in great news for cricket-lovers in Victoria, he hopes there will be room for limited crowds to be there as well.
There has been plenty of speculation in recent weeks over whether Cricket Australia will be forced to move the Boxing Day Test due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in Victoria.
While the cases are on the way down in Melbourne and their surroundings, talk of Sydney or Adelaide hosting the Boxing Day Test has persisted.
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Speaking with Gerard Whateley on SEN, Pakula shared his belief that the talk is purely speculation and that one of the biggest spectacles of the Australian sporting calendar will remain at the MCG.
"It's not 100 per cent certain but I know that it's certainly Cricket Australia's intention and it is their absolute desire, as is mine [to hold the Boxing Day Test at the MCG]," Pakula said on Whateley.
"I've been dealing with Earl Eddings (Cricket Australia Chairman) as recently as this morning."
Pakula spoke about some of the issues that Cricket Australia and the Victorian Government would have to work through to get the event off the ground.
While crowds were important for the Minister, he said one benefit is that when India come to Australia for their Test tour, they're likely to go to either Adelaide or Perth first.
This means that Victoria don't have to worry about the logistics of a 14-day international travel quarantine for the Indian touring party.
According to Pakula, in the Victorian Government's latest roadmap for dealing with COVID-19, there is an allowance that means they can be flexible when it comes to major sporting events.
As a result, Pakula remained optimistic that crowds could be seen at the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
However, it will be in a far-reduced capacity to what we normally see on December 26.
"No one's talking about 100,000 people at the MCG," Pakula said.
"But it is quite possible...that you could have very socially-distanced spectators given the size of the stadium, and for it to be done quite safely.
"At the outset of the coronavirus here in Melbourne, we had 86,000 at the MCG for the T20 World Cup Final for the women.
"Obviously it's going to be nothing like that, but some sort of crowd in a very spaced-out, socially-distanced way is very possible.
"Potentially having every fifth or every sixth seat filled in a stadium that holds 100,000 people.
"They've been able to do it successfully in other parts of the country.
"It's the 8th of September and the Boxing Day Test is scheduled for three and a half months from now.
"No one is saying it's going to happen but certainly we're not saying it's ruled out either.
"By the time we get to Boxing Day, I'd be very hopeful that we can have some form of crowd and the game can go ahead."
Pakula confirmed that no cutoff date had yet been set by Cricket Australia for when a decision has to be made about the location for the Boxing Day Test.
As for the Melbourne Cup, Pakula certainly hopes there will be crowds but admits he is more concerned about having fans in attendance given it is in the first week of November.
"I think that's even more difficult simply because we're talking about November 3, not December 26," Pakula said.
"I've got a conversation scheduled with Amanda Elliott (Victorian Racing Club Chairman) today.
"Flemington...is a very big space, so you could potentially have a few thousand people there who would be nowhere near one another.
"But I think the Premier made it clear, it's less likely than more likely. But again, it's not out of the question."
