Cricket great slams plan to axe Boxing Day and New Year's Tests

Victorian cricket great Dean Jones has hit out at a plan hatched by former Australian coach John Buchanan to cull the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests from the summer schedule.

Buchanan revealed his idea for a massive restructuring of the Australian summer in a column for Fairfax Media on Monday.

The Queenslander, who coached Australia during its golden years in the early 2000s, wants the Test summer to be reduced to three matches in four weeks in November and December.

His suggestion would then open up late December, January and February for domestic cricket, though it appears unlikely to receive a green light.

"Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria and the state government did not wish to comment but it's understood Buchanan's idea had little appeal," Fairfax reported.

The 52-Test veteran Jones slammed Buchanan's idea, which came as CA and the Australian Cricketers Association continue their pay war.

"Really Buck? Both of these Test matches are part of our cricketing DNA," Jones tweeted.

"It's part of our culture. It's what the fans and players want."

The Boxing Day Test became an annual fixture in 1980, with more than 60,000 fans on day one a virtual guarantee even outside Ashes summers.

Cricket NSW has previously lobbied for the SCG to receive two Test matches in a summer, despite recent low crowds and rain delays.

Buchanan's justification for the shorter Test summer is an increase in value for fans and CA.

The Australian cricket team's typical schedule involves five or six Test matches.

This summer will see England return for the first Ashes series in Australia since the home team's whitewash in 2013-14.

Tickets went on sale earlier in May, with some days already sold out.