South Africa reject Indian board's itinerary

The South African board (UCBSA) has rejected the Indian cricket board's itinerary for their tour of India in November, on the grounds that they want to play two Test matches and not the seven one-day internationals that are scheduled. According to SABC News, Brian Basson, the general manager of cricket affairs in the UCBSA , has said that it would be pointless to go back to India again at a later date to play the two Tests.

The packed schedule of both sides has meant that it is not possible to schedule both a Test and one-day series, as would normally be the practice, and with one-dayers being far more profitable for the home board than Test matches, it was always likely that the Indians would opt to omit the Tests. However, there is a sign that the distressing emphasis on one-day cricket may finally be changing in the subcontinent. India's series against Australia in October, it is being speculated, may be revamped to accommodate one extra Test, with the one-dayers being scrapped.

The ICC's stand on this matter is that the dispute should be sorted out through bilateral negotiations, and there is no need for them to get involved. "It's not unusual for these discussions over schedules to occur," said Brendon McClements, their general manager, "and they can split the Test and one-day series if they want to. Besides, their only obligation is to play each other in a Test and one-day series, home and away, at least once in a five-year cycle."

South Africa last played a Test series in India in early 2000, which does not leave much space in the five year cycle to play another one.