Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein is hoping Cricket Australia will officially call off the Perth Test on Friday, opening the door for Tasmania to host the series decider.
The proposed fifth Ashes Test in Perth is scheduled to begin in mid-January, however border restrictions will almost certainly mean that the match is unable to go ahead in its current form.
Tasmania had been heavily levelling Cricket Australia for the final Test as a farewell for Tim Paine, however his resignation and extended leave from the team might have hurt the state’s chances.
Gutewein once again confirmed the state’s interest in hosting the “biggest travelling show in the world” and is happy with how the siuation sits.
“I think we’re in a good spot. Obviously the decision that Cricket Australia needs to make is whether or not the Perth Test goes ahead,” he told SEN Hobart.
“The board’s meeting today, I’d encourage them very strongly to make a decision and ensure we’ve got some clear air and we can sit down and start negotiating and finalise a Test here in Hobart.
“I’ve said very clearly to Cricket Australia, ‘This is your opportunity to make history, we’ve never had an Ashes Test in Tasmania and I know cricket’s not everybody's ball game but at the end of the day Ashes cricket is the biggest travelling show in the world and the barmy army are the biggest travelling circus in the world'.
“We’ll have an opportunity to put that product into one of the best boutique cricket grounds in the world here at Bellerive.”
Bellerive Oval has not hosted a Test match since 2016 and is not scheduled to host any other Tests this summer.
He also expects the Perth Test to be officially called off in the imminent future, with decisions to be made on the next host of that.
“I hope Cricket Australia make a decision today (Friday) that the Perth Test won’t be going ahead,” he continued.
“That enables us to get around the table and to talk about what support might be needed and what logistically we might need to do, as I said, an Ashes Test is the biggest travelling show on the planet.
“Importantly, the fifth Test down here could be the decider.
“We’ll sit down with Cricket Australia as soon as we have the opportunity, I know Cricket Tasmania has been engaged with Cricket Australia almost on a daily basis, we’ve been working our way through this.”
“I spoke to Nick Hockley (Cricket Australia CEO) in the last 48 hours as well and again expressed our strong desire for the Test to be here.
“A point that I’ve made though, and I think it’s a point that is important that Cricket Australia understand, this is a national game and this is their opportunity to make history, an Ashes Test in Tasmania.
“It’d be good to see Cricket Australia support Tasmania on this.”
Sydney and Melbourne are the two other favourites to host the fifth Test, however, it would gift them a second match in the series.
The Ashes start on December 8 in Brisbane before going through Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney for the new years Test.