Cricket: No cover for cut tour by Indians

Ehsan Mani

New Zealand's half-starved cricket fans are set to be served up the thinnest of soups next summer after confirmation that Bangladesh will be the only touring team.

Already on a skeleton diet following the Boxing Day tsunami disruptions last season and Zimbabwe's cancelled tour this summer, Kiwi supporters received more grim news yesterday when it was revealed there would be no replacement for next summer's postponed Indian visit.

Instead, New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden issued a statement saying he was confident New Zealand's World Cup preparations would be adequately served by the existing itinerary.

This included the Champions Trophy in India in October-November, a inbound tour from December to January (scheduled to be Bangladesh), the VB tri-series in Australia, and three Chappell-Hadlee one-dayers at home.

Snedden confirmed that India's withdrawal from the tour had been planned for some time, and repeated ICC president Ehsan Mani's assertion that the decision was agreed on by "mutual" consent.

However, Herald sources suggested yesterday that, rather than agreeing to India's wishes, NZC were left with no option after the ICC decided to re-arrange the original dates of the World Cup. The tournament was brought forward to ensure the competition wasn't threatened by the region's annual hurricane season, effectively invalidating New Zealand's home series against India.

The upshot was that India, freed from their contractual obligation to tour New Zealand on the cusp of the 2007 World Cup, gladly accepted the opportunity to wash their hands of the entire tour.

"Following the ICC's decision NZC and the BCCI discussed various rescheduling options before finally agreeing that the tour of three tests and five ODIs should take place in December 2008," Snedden said.

The only other faint hope for cricket fans next summer is the possibility of a visit from Sri Lanka, who toured New Zealand in 2004-05 before the tsunami struck, returned two months later to play two tests, and then again this summer to complete the one-day series.

Sri Lanka is drawn to host Zimbabwe next February, but could be looking for a replacement contest after the troubled African nation yesterday suspended its international operation for at least 12 months.

There's even a chance New Zealand could be invited to India to participate in a tri-series on the eve of the World Cup, although the host board has yet to name the two visiting teams.

India have been caught up in a row with the ICC over threats to boycott the Champions Trophy and Future Tours Programme, and the impasse showed little sign of resolving itself yesterday.

Board secretary Niranjan Shah stuck to his guns over the Champions Trophy, saying the ICC "cannot force us" to play in events from 2007 to 2015, despite his previous administration agreeing to them last year.

"The ICC has sent us a compliance manual which includes details of all events from 2007 to 2015," Shah told the Times of India. "I will place it for clearance at the working committee meeting [New Delhi, January 23] and only if members agree we will sign the manual."