The Cricket Board has expressed its inability to pencil in more than one tour
game prior to the four-match Test series in Australia later this
year as desired by the players.
"There's no chance to add any extra games. The players may want more but
where's the time," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said today.
He was referring to India's packed international schedule after the
ODI series against South Africa in Ireland next month.
The team for Ireland and the subsequent tour of England,
to be selected at Bangalore on June 12, is set to depart on June 19 and return
in the second week of September at the conclusion of the Natwest one-day series
in England.
Some players, selected for the best-of-seven one-day rubber
in England, would dierctly proceed to South Africa for the inaugural Twenty20
World Cup.
Australia will be in India to play seven ODIs in October, apart
from a Twenty20 fixture against the hosts.
After this, Pakistan will tour India for three Tests and five
ODIs, which would leave the team with hardly any breathing space before it departs
for the tour of Australia for playing four Tests and an ODI tri-series.
As per the schedule, the Indians are slated to play only one
warm-up game before taking on the Australians in the first Test at Melbourne
from December 26.
Indian captain Rahul Dravid had earlier complained about
the "over-crammed" calendar of the team, but the BCCI rejected his
contention, saying that there was a rotation policy in place to prevent player
burn-out.
|
