The uncertainty over India’s tour of South Africa grew further when the New Zealand Cricket announced their itinerary on Monday a day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Working Committee meeting approved the proposal of a West Indies tour to the sub-continent, says a report in DNA.
The tour to the land of Kiwis, which was supposed to begin in February according to the International Cricket Council’s Futures Tour and Program, has been advanced to January leaving a small window for Cricket South Africa to host India. The New Zealand tour is supposed to begin mid-January with the first of the five ODIs being played on 19th. Meanwhile, the number Test matches have been reduced from three to two.
Going by the current scenario, the window to accommodate a South Africa series is small. Australia’s tour of India will end in the first week of November, with the last ODI being played on November 2 while the New Zealand tour begins with an ODI on January 19. And between these two dates, India will have to accommodate two big series.
Meanwhile according to a report in Indian Express, England on Monday agreed to host India for five Test matches, for the first time in 50 years, when the team lands here for a long series which will also include five ODIs and a Twenty20 International next year. "India will play a five-match Test series in this country for the first time since 1959 with Trent Bridge, Lord's, The Ageas Bowl, Emirates Old Trafford and The Kia Oval all hosting Investec Test Matches," the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement.
Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Middlesex will host tour matches against India who last toured England in 2011 when they were defeated 0-4 in the Test Series and 0-3 in the ODI Series with the NatWest International T20 series drawn 1-1.
"This will be the first time England has hosted India in a five Test series in more than 50 years and the length of the series reflects the iconic status which contests between these two great cricketing nations now enjoy," ECB Chief Executive David Collier said.
According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Collier said, "We anticipate significant demand for tickets both for the Investec Test series, and for the One-Day International series which will be the first encounter between these two countries in the 50-Over format since India's triumph in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy competition at Edgbaston earlier this year.
"We thank the BCCI for their support and also our international venues who between them helped bring a record number of spectators - more than 850,000 - to international cricket over the course of the season when India last toured here in 2011," he added.