Cricket Australia has clarified the reasons behind dropping matches on January 26 next year.

The 2024-25 men and women's international fixtures had been released in March before the Australian domestic fixtures – including the Big Bash League – were announced in July.

But only this week were the reasons for no January 26 sanctioned matches spelled out publicly.

Cricket Australia made no mention of Indigenous sensitivity over January 26 as a day of mourning of dispossession, violence and genocide - Invasion Day.

This season will be the first time in 31 years since "Australia Day" fell on a Wednesday that no professional cricket has been played on January 26.

Cricket Australia decided against fixturing on the controversial date – this year falling on a Sunday – following guidance from cricket broadcasters, Seven Network and Foxtel, to avoid a ratings conflict with the Australian Open men's tennis final despite the two summer sports going head to head on this date every other year.

It also coincided with the late announcement this week that Australia will briefly be touring Sri Lanka for two Test matches to fulfill its World Test Championship obligations, with the visit including a warm-up one-day international with Sri Lanka ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan throughout February .

The penultimate match of the BBL season, to decide the second of the two teams in The Final, will be played on January 24, but Cricket Australia decided to delay the fixturing of the title-decider until January 27, given the Monday is the Australia Day public holiday.

"We determined January 27 was the best date for the BBL Final this season as it would give as many fans as possible the chance to attend and/or watch one of Australian sport's great occasions,'' a Cricket Australia spokesman said.

"We make our scheduling decisions based on the best interests of fans and do not rule out playing on any day in the future."

The fact the Big Bash Twenty20 fixture was The Final of the competition, rather than another routine match or one of the other three finals, played a part in the decision to best capitalise on gaining a larger TV audience watching.

Cricket Australia has not ruled out returning to fixtures on January 26, the date that triggers an annual public firestorm.

The governing body for administering the game did not reference Australia Day earlier in the year at the Gabba Test.

While fixtures since 2021, including the Big Bash League, have continued to be scheduled on January 26, Cricket Australia has withdrawn the promotion or even any public mention of Australia Day on that date.

Cricket Australia's initial plan on January 26 this year was for the ground announcer at the Brisbane Test to not reference Australia Day in any form, amid the singing of the national anthem, with the public instead welcomed by an Acknowledgement of Country on the opening day.

Protesters chanting, "we are on stolen land" also descended on the Gabba's gates before the start of play, causing ground officials and security under instruction from Cricket Australia to lock down the entrance for half an hour, which delayed the start of play.

For decades in Australia, either one of the days of the Test match or a one-day international match, most commonly at Adelaide Oval, was played on January 26 while being marketed as the Australia Day match, dating back to the 1980s before all states recognised the public holiday.

Former Australian captain Kim Hughes told NewsCorp papers he could understand why no top-flight cricket will be played on January 26 this year, but is against the notion that the fixture should be wiped out altogether.

The West Australian right-handed batsman, who took a Rebel Australian squad to Apartheid South Africa during the mid-1980s, believed incorporating Australia Day into an international match is par for the course.

"I have always considered it a very special day - and not just because it is my birthday," he said.

"Given the Australian Open final is on, I think it is a sensible call not to take it on this season.

"But I still believe Australia should continue to celebrate the day and play cricket on it when it has the chance to.

"I feel very strongly about this. If people don't want to celebrate it and have other ideas that is absolutely fine. But don't stop other people from celebrating."

But when Australian Test captain Pat Cummins had been asked about what his stance was on Australia Day, the fast bowler acknowledged it means "different things to different people".

Cummins added the nation should choose a "more appropriate date'' to celebrate Australia Day than January 26.

However, Cummins had no issue playing on the date, but rather with celebrating January 26 as Australia Day out of respect for First Nations people.

Australian female star and Muruwari woman, Ashleigh Gardner, criticised Australia last year for scheduling a women's T20 match against Pakistan on January 26.

The historic women's day-night Ashes Test against England will be played from January 30 to February 3 at the MCG, following the three-game T20 series and three-game ODI component of the multi-format series ends on January 25.

Gardner, the second Australian Indigenous woman to play Tests, said it was a "day of hurt'' for Indigenous Australians and playing on the anniversary of British colonisaton beginning did not sit well with her.