Cricket Australia is hoping a looming public holiday and a game featuring Pakistan can help lure spectators to the MCG for the start of the international summer.
Three ODIs followed by three T20s is a low-key way to begin what is a highly anticipated season as India prepare to play five Tests in Australia for the first time since 1991-92.
Australia, led by Pat Cummins in his first ODI since last year's World Cup final, will host Pakistan on Monday, a day before the Melbourne Cup public holiday.
But the Monday before the "race that stops the nation' is also an unofficial public holiday as thousands of Melburnians make it a four-day weekend.
Just four ODIs have previously been played at the MCG in November, with an average attendance for those matches just 16,096.
In November 2022, Australia faced England in front of 10,406 - the lowest ever crowd for an ODI at the MCG involving the hosts.
CA doesn't have a predicted crowd figure for the game against Pakistan, but the scheduling is more fan-friendly than two years ago.
The three-game series against England started just days after the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, with the MCG game falling on a Tuesday.
While not on the same crowd-drawing level as India, Pakistan still garner plenty of support around the world, particularly in Melbourne.
The Victorian public will also be able to watch homegrown players Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Glenn Maxwell go about their business.
Cummins on Sunday confirmed Short and Fraser-McGurk will open the batting, with Maxwell to float in the middle order.
Short and Fraser-McGurk are vying to lock down a spot as World Cup hero Travis Head's opening partner ahead of next year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Head and Mitch Marsh are both on paternity leave and unavailable for this series.
"Both of them in T20 and one-dayers have been pretty scary to bowl at, so that's our message to them," Cummins said of Short and Fraser-McGurk.
"My preference would be they give it a good crack for sure."
