Cricket Australia said that Perth Stadium will "take over hosting duties from the historic WACA ground" after the Int'l Cricket Council approved the newly-built venue to host all int'l formats, according to Aditi Prakash of REUTERS. The 50,000-seat stadium will "now become the main venue for cricket in Western Australia," and the fifth one-day int'l between Australia and England on Jan. 28 will be the "first major sporting event held at the ground." CA CEO James Sutherland said, "The stadium is a magnificent asset for the state of WA and its sports fans." The stadium will also host matches from the Big Bash League, Australian rules football and soccer. The WACA, which has hosted cricket matches since the early 1890s, "will be turned into a boutique ground with a capacity of 10,000-15,000 by the local board" (REUTERS, 1/10). The PA's Rory Dollard reported the ICC's inspection, led by ICC match referee Richie Richardson, was "essentially a formality with tickets having already been sold for the grand opening" on Jan. 28. Richardson said, "This is by far the most impressive and well laid out stadium I have ever visited" (PA, 1/11).
