Cricket: Black Caps could be left on the outer

Fears for New Zealand's international prospects deepened a shade yesterday after another crack appeared in the world game's agreed playing schedule.

Already in a state of emergency after a series of defections this week, the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme took another direct hit with the news that Australia's tour of the West Indies next year had been cancelled.

The FTP schedule has already been thrown into confusion by the suspension of Zimbabwe from the playing programme and the confirmation that India would not be visiting New Zealand next summer, and yesterday's announcement only undermined the agreement further.

The issue could have grave implications for New Zealand as India appear determined to dilute the contractual strength of the FTP, so that they can be free to negotiate their own bilateral agreements with more desirable partners.

The sub-continental powers have already signalled their interest in more contests against the highest-profile teams in world cricket, and have agreed in principle to host Australia every season for the next three years.

To make matters worse for New Zealand, their push for what would effectively become an upper tier of world cricket seemed to gain more momentum yesterday, with the announcement that England have agreed to play India every other year, in a series that would mimic the Ashes.

England travel to India next month for a nine-week tour, and are scheduled to face them again on home soil in 2007, five years after their last role as hosts.

However, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman David Morgan apparently met Indian board member Inderjit Singh Bindra in Bristol a week ago, and made it clear in yesterday's Daily Telegraph he was keen on more encounters.

"We've always wanted to develop closer ties with India," he explained.

"This was on our wish list that we gave to the ICC. They [India] have a middle class which is as big as the entire population of the United States. Bindra was pushing at an open door."

India's top brass were due to meet ICC board officials in Dubai last night, but the latest changes to the FTP agreement would have only strengthened their case for more latitude, even if the complications were unavoidable.

India withdrew from the New Zealand tour next year as part of the playing schedule overlapped with the re-jigged World Cup, and the West Indies cancelled the Australian tour due to over-commitment.

Earlier this week, the ICC warned India against making unilateral decisions. The concern is that - if the heavyweights have their way - New Zealand could be left to play continually against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the West Indies and Pakistan, while England, India, Australia and South Africa share the major spoils.

New Zealand cricket fans are already facing a low key schedule at home next season, with the prospect of receiving only one inbound touring team, probably either Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

NZC chief executive Martin Snedden said yesterday that the FTP programme was soon to be re-drafted, and because of that he couldn't be sure whether the likely tourists would be Bangladesh as planned, or the perennial Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka had been scheduled to host Zimbabwe next February, but now have a vacancy following the African team's self-imposed exile.