The Sheffield Shield game between Victoria and Western Australia at the MCG was abandoned due to safety concerns over the pitch. Credit:AAP The regulations came into effect just days after the MCG was given an unprecedented "poor" rating by the ICC for the 2017/18 Ashes Test, which was dominated by the batsmen and finished in a dull draw. The Shield pitch went excessively the other way, with the MCC admitting curator Matt Page, under the club's direction, had pushed the boundaries too far. "You want it to stay at the MCG but the simple fact is they've got to get the pitch right," Lehmann said. "The pitch has either been too flat and done nothing ... [or] this one did a fair bit and was dangerous. Somewhere in between they've got to get it right and get it right quickly."

Loading CA is expecting to be grilled by the ICC over how the ground's final first-class game before the Test was called off after only 39.4 overs. There will also be high-powered meetings between MCC chief Stuart Fox and his CA counterpart Kevin Roberts and cricket operations manager Peter Roach to ensure there is no further embarrassment during the Test. The stakes are high for the MCC with a deal between it, CA and the Victorian government this year rolled over for only a year, in part because executives at the MCC and CA were relatively new in their positions and needed more time to understand what was required. Optus Stadium chief Mike McKenna has made no secret of the fact he wants Perth to have a Test that has a set date, and last summer declared the Boxing Day Test and Sydney's New Year's Test were events he coveted.

The Western Australian government and tourism chiefs are ready to back a bid should there be an opportunity, with a multi-million dollar deal needed to secure a deal - should CA be open to discussions. McKenna will meet with CA chairman Earl Eddings and Roberts this week ahead of the series opener against New Zealand. This will be the stadium's second Test, and first under lights. Loading "It's a great ground here, it has a big, passionate fan base and they need a reason to come to the cricket. I think an event like Boxing Day that we can be consistent on the date [with], like the MCG has been for Melbourne, will give us a chance to build our audience," McKenna said on Sunday. Optus Stadium has a capacity of 60,000 - about 40,000 less than the MCG - but crowds of more than 60,000 are rarely an issue at the MCG other than on day one.

"The state (WA) hasn't been asked to but stands ready to (present) if there is an opportunity. I expect there will be meetings with Cricket Australia ahead of the Perth Test this coming week," McKenna said. "If Cricket Australia were interested in talking to us about the prospects, then I have no doubt the venue and the government would be very keen to have that conversation." McKenna said the Perth wicket had the benefit of using the latest technology, while its pitches were fresh. CA are encouraged by two recent Shield games at the MCG in which players spoke positively about the pitch. Victoria captain Peter Handscomb, however, had called for livelier tracks to counter the lack of deterioration. "The learning from that is there was too much moisture," Roach said. "And we've got full confidence that they'll look back on those last two Shield games and lean towards that."