Cricket: One of big four likely to tour every year

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New Zealand are optimistic they will host a tour by one of world cricket's big four nations in each year of the next international calendar.

The International Cricket Council is hammering out its post-2012 Future Tours Programme. While it is not finalised, the prospects are bright that - with the exception of 2015, when New Zealand are co-hosting the World Cup - one of England, Australia, India and South Africa will visit in each of the following five years.

"It is looking positive for New Zealand. Certainly in the short term we do have those big nations touring on a frequent basis," New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said yesterday.

In World Cup year, another team outside that four is slated to visit New Zealand.

Tours by India and England are the most lucrative, Australia are always a drawcard and South Africa round out the big wheels at the international table.

There had been fears that as they sought to carve up each year to their own advantage, smaller nations, such as New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Pakistan and Bangladesh, would be left to fend for themselves as the Big Four got fatter on bilateral arrangements.

The ICC's plan does not include Indian Premier League or Champions League windows, or a test championship plan, which most countries want, other than India and England.

The international players' body, Fica, rejected the ICC draft and offered an alternative which included those elements and what it believes is a more sensible approach to player welfare. Its test championship plan includes collective bundling of rights and graded revenues over a short time frame, and an annual ODI championship.

The ICC is not bound to accept any of Fica's ideas, but should give them serious thought. The ICC thinking appears to be bed down the outline for post-2012 international cricket, then make adjustments within that framework.

Fica's chief executive, former Australian test spinner Tim May, said the ICC's draft "does not address an increasingly changing cricket landscape".

"The grind of the present international calender just can't exist with the attraction of shorter-duration, less physical, better-remunerated Twenty20 leagues. International cricket will no longer be the best versus the best ... and will be very much an inferior product."

He cited England allrounder Andrew Flintoff withdrawing from tests as a pointer to the future. He could have added New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram, who this week retired from test cricket in the hope of prolonging his limited-overs career.

Vaughan characterised the ICC view as "wanting the initial building blocks put in place, then look at how to create an improved context round those over the next 12-18 months".

NZC, who work on a four-year financial cycle, need the big ticket items on a regular basis. "We're happy with the [draft] programme and the reason is we're getting those teams touring on a frequent basis," Vaughan said.

* Pakistan's captain Younus Khan has stepped down and taken a break from the game, furious at allegations of match fixing during his team's losses to Australia and New Zealand at the Champions Trophy.

Allrounder Shahid Afridi is tipped as front runner for the captaincy against New Zealand in the forthcoming five-game series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month.