A day after announcing to host Windies in November, BCCI advances New Zealand tour hinting at further shortening of South Africa tour
New Zealand Cricket on Monday announced a brief schedule for its home series against India in January-February next year, falling in line with the BCCI’s demand to keep the tour as short as possible. The announcement increased the uncertainty surrounding India’s South Africa tour in November, the schedule of which is yet to be finalised.
India will play five One-day Internationals followed by a two Tests against the Black Caps between January 19 to February 18.
Initially, the tour was supposed to have three Tests, five One-dayers and one Twenty20 International and, according to the ICC Future Tours Programme, was to be held in February-March. But, according to the itinerary announced by NZC , the tour will now start around two to three weeks earlier, clashing with the time allotted for the South Africa tour.
In fact, according to the itinerary announced by Cricket South Africa in July, to which the BCCI objected, the third and final Test in Johannesburg was to end on January 19, the day on which India will now be commencing their month-long New Zealand tour, thousands of miles away.
In its Working Committee meeting on Sunday, the BCCI announced a list of upcoming series, which included a newly-planned home Test series against West Indies in November, but there was no mention of South Africa trip, putting the much talked-about tour in doubt.
NZC Chief Executive David White said he was happy that India would be playing five ODIs against the hosts. “It’s brilliant that the Black Caps will be playing five ODIs against the world’s top one day side given the proximity of Cricket World Cup in 2015,” White said in a statement issued on Monday.
White also informed that the venues for the Indian tour will be announced next week. India will begin their ODI campaign against the hosts on January 19 followed by matches on 22, 25, 28 and 31.
The first of the two Tests will be played from February 7 to 11, while the second will take place from February 14-18. India last toured New Zealand in 2009.