Cricket: No Boxing Day test in Australia for Black Caps

The Black Caps have not played at the famed MCG for six years. Photo / Getty

The Black Caps are eager to make a playing return to the Melbourne Cricket Ground but will have to wait for at least another eight years before they manage to secure a highly-sought after booking at the famous venue.

Plenty of anticipation surrounds Saturday's group A World Cup showdown between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park, but the Black Caps will not be stopping at the MCG when they head across the Tasman for a test series later this year.

Instead, the touring West Indies side have been chosen to face off against Australia at the MCG, with the Kiwis again missing out on a chance to play at the ground they last graced 27 years ago in the drawn third test in December 1987.

New Zealand has not featured in a Boxing Day test in Melbourne since, while every other test nation except Zimbabwe and Bangladesh has enjoyed the honour.

As much as the Black Caps might hope to return to the MCG they are set to miss out with the Future Tours Program from 2015 to 2023 soon to be confirmed.

"I think every New Zealand cricketer dreams of playing in the Boxing Day test match," New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White told Fairfax Media.

"We haven't played in it for many, many years and I'm not sure that's going to happen in the near future - it's not going to happen this year. But it's something that we're pushing and something that our cricketers would dream of playing."

India and England remain obvious choices to play the Boxing Day test whenever they are touring Australia, while South Africa are looking likely to enjoy that occasion every four years under the new program.

And although the MCG remains off-limits for the time being, the Black Caps are set to play Australia more frequently under the FTP, and will play in the historic first day-night test this year, expected to be held in Adelaide.

"We've got more content with Australia, starting with those test matches, but we'd always like more," White said. "The challenge we've got though is we share the same summer. It is a challenge for us to fit everything into our window.

"We want to play Australia more. They're consistently one of the top teams in the world, they're our neighbours, they're our big brothers if you like."

New Zealand hope they will feature in the World Cup final at the MCG on March 29, which would be the first game for many of their players at the ground, with the Black Caps making their last appearance there more than six years ago.

Black Caps management arranged for the squad to take in a tour of the MCG while they were in Melbourne for a World Cup promotion late last year, and that brief experience will have to suffice for the time being.