Moving the Prime Minister's XI away from Manuka Oval, one punter says, is like starting the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Batemans Bay.
But it's happening. A phone call from Cricket Australia's Jolimont headquarters could be the death knell for the Prime Minister's XI - fixture once known as the jewel in Canberra's cricketing crown - as we know it.
Sections of Canberra's cricket community have been left fuming, with one reader lamenting "another kick in the guts" from Cricket Australia and wondering who to blame as decades of tradition are cast aside to appease the request of the England Cricket Board.
Some have pointed the finger at Chief Minister Andrew Barr after the Prime Minister's XI fixture was shifted to Melbourne's Junction Oval from March 4-6 as part of the 150th anniversary Test celebrations.
There have been some head-scratching sport and stadium decisions from the ACT government over the years - but this one isn't their problem.
The ACT government had no say in the game being moved to Melbourne - and territory officials are urging Cricket Australia to consider granting the ACT full member status so the capital isn't overlooked when major decisions are made.
"The government has invested heavily to bring cricket content to Canberra for the 2026/27 season and acknowledges the exceptional nature of this anniversary event. However, our expectation is that the PM's XI returns to its traditional home in Canberra following this one-off celebration," an ACT government spokesperson said.
"We look forward to Cricket Australia's support in ensuring the PM's XI is back in Canberra in future seasons, where it belongs and where generations of fans have come to expect it.
"Cricket presents itself as a national game, and its governance should reflect that in practice. The ACT has a long history of contributing to Australian cricket and deserves a voice in the sport's national decision-making.
"We encourage Cricket Australia and its members to give the Territory representation proposal serious consideration at this year's AGM. Decisions affecting nationally significant fixtures such as the PM's XI only reinforce the importance of ensuring all parts of Australia have a seat at the table."
So those fans looking for someone to blame can look elsewhere. For some, a mirror might be a good place to start.
Crowd numbers for Prime Minister's XI games have fallen off a cliff over the past decade. When the Manuka Oval buffet expanded to include more internationals and Big Bash fireworks, fans had the luxury of picking and choosing.
Losing the Prime Minister's XI fixture is a blow for the traditionalists. But spare us the outrage.
Where were the crowds when Sam Konstas fired a message to Australian selectors by blitzing a century against India and drew comparisons to Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli?
When Scott Boland was charging in before earning a Test recall which ended with a 10-wicket haul against India in Sydney?
The Prime Minister's XI has struggled with an identity crisis. We've bounced from white ball to pink ball to red ball. We've traded coloured clothes for whites and baggy caps. Games have spanned from four hours to four days as officials tinkered with fixtures to suit touring teams.
The afternoons spent waiting for greats like Ricky Ponting to pad up just one more time are long gone. Instead you wondered if you were going to watch players on the verge of an international call-up or little-known domestic players touted as stars of the future.
So, what is the future? Does the Prime Minister's XI become a travelling roadshow played anywhere from the WACA Ground to Allan Border Field, pending the demands of the tourists? Or does it return to Manuka Oval next year?
Many figure a makeover is necessary. There have been calls for a Big Bash all-star game to be wedged between the semi-finals and the competition decider. It creates more content - and dollar signs - for broadcasters, but may not satisfy the desire for meaningful cricket content.
Could it be that Anthony Albanese picks a team to play against Australia to reprise a Twenty20 relic?
Cast your mind back to 2008-2009. Adam Gilchrist partnered Matthew Hayden at the top of the order for an Australian Cricketers Association XI littered with legends and domestic stars.
Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath were bowling in tandem against an Australian side including David Warner, Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke.
Finding a place on the calendar to appease Australia's biggest stars is no mean feat, but an option worth exploring to revive interest in what was once Canberra's showpiece.
Cricket ACT head of cricket Stuart Karppinen expects the fixture will return to Manuka Oval next year.
"It's pretty disappointing for our community. It's tradition, and [fans] get to see future Australian cricketers, which is often what kind of happens with the PM's," Karppinen said.
"It's a fixture that people in the cricket community here look forward to. As an organisation, we actually get a heap of benefit out of it, too. Our coaches get to connect and often get on secondments and spend time with the team. Our cricket operations staff work closely with with CA when they're here, so they get that larger scale international match experience.
"We've had local players that have the opportunity to be around the team. The way in which the players within the team have embraced them has been really good. They've had such a good experience of it. For coaches, staff, and players, we've had real benefit."
Canberra's historic annual Prime Minister's XI match will not be held at Manuka Oval for the first time in 75 years of the fixture's existence.
In a shock move less than a year after England's Test team completely snubbed the iconic game, Cricket Australia confirmed on Tuesday night the next iteration will be played in Melbourne on March 4-6 next year.
What is being described as a "one-off" PM's XI move to Melbourne will make the game part of a week-long festival of cricket amid the 150th Anniversary Test on March 11-15, between England and Australia.
The change will ignite debate in the capital after watching the fixture decline in popularity and meaning over the past 15 years.
It was once the jewel in the Canberra cricket crown - with some of the country's best combining their talents to play against a touring side.
But it has slowly transformed into a developmental game with limited star power and crowds have dwindled as Canberra's international cricket and Big Bash offerings expanded.
The decline was highlighted last year when England snubbed the game and sent their Test team from Perth to Brisbane instead of stopping in Canberra. England crashed in the Ashes and their preparation was slammed, and Canberra fans were dudded by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
Now the under-siege England team - Stokes quit this week in the midst of off-field controversy and another series loss - has kicked the PM's XI match once more.
The England Cricket Board made a request to Cricket Australia to see if the PM's XI pink-ball match could be held closer to the MCG to give the visitors the best possible preparation for the Anniversary Test, and help facilitate them fielding their strongest lineup.
Cricket Australia officials have assured Canberrans that the change is temporary. The new location was agreed to by both parties with the understanding that the England Cricket Board would then provide the best possible lead-in for the Australian Test squad at next year's Ashes series in the United Kingdom.
It is hoped that the decision to snatch the PM's XI from its traditional home in Canberra will also revive the relevance and significance of the historic fixture as a valuable feature on Australia's cricket calendar.
At the last PM's XI in Canberra in November, England controversially played their touring squad at Manuka Oval, with the first-choice lineup instead travelling to Noosa for a now infamous bonding trip during the Ashes series that Australia eventually won, 4-1.
This summer Manuka Oval will host a men's Twenty20 international between Australia and England on December 2, and a women's fixture between Australia and New Zealand on February 24 next year. Two Sydney Thunder matches in the Big Bash League will also take place in Canberra.
While the decision is a blow to cricket fans in the Canberra region that enjoy attending the PM's XI every year at Manuka Oval, the tradition of a player from the ACT being included in the squad will remain.
"It was anticipated some fans in the ACT would be disappointed by the change, but the rarity and magnitude of the 150th Anniversary Test and England's request for preparation warranted the move," a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.
Cricket Australia said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office supported moving the fixture to Melbourne.
Canberra has hosted the PM's XI since 1951 when the cricket match was first established by Sir Robert Menzies. The Prime Minister plays a role alongside Australian selectors in deciding the squad, and often attends the match. Last year Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was at the Canberra match in Albanese's absence.
"I'm delighted the Prime Minister's XI will once again take on England and play an important role in the lead-up to the 150th Anniversary Test," Albanese said of the one-off move from Canberra to Melbourne.
"The Prime Minister's XI match has a proud place in Australian cricket history and it's fitting the XI will take on the best England can throw at us ahead of the one-off Test.
"The 150th Anniversary Test will be a special occasion for cricket fans across Australia and around the world, and I look forward to helping select a Prime Minister's XI that will provide a terrific contest in the lead-up to that historic match."
Cricket Australia said big crowds are expected at the PM's XI at Junction Oval, which will be followed on the Monday 8 and Wednesday 10 March by two one-day internationals between Australia and New Zealand, before the Anniversary Test begins on March 11.
"The Prime Minister's XI match is a fantastic part of the summer schedule, and we are really pleased it will be part of the festivities surrounding the 150th Anniversary Test," Cricket Australia chief executive officer Todd Greenberg said.
"Playing the match under lights in Melbourne will give the PM's XI fantastic exposure during what will be an exciting time for cricket.
"We are confident there will be big crowds at the Junction Oval to see the PM's XI take on a full-strength England team as they prepare for the challenge of facing Australia in the 150th Anniversary Test match.
"We thank Prime Minister Albanese for his ongoing support of this cherished fixture and for his strong support of Australian cricket more broadly."
