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Untitled Document
 BCCI's own commitments behind scrapping a Test against England
27th Mar 2008 17:00 IST
Agencies
The BCCI may have blamed the ICC's Future Tours Program for scrapping a Test from England's November-December tour to India but a study of the FTP reveals that the match was dropped to accommodate a Test series against Australia after the Champions Trophy.
According to the tours program, which was released on May 1, 2006 following a scheduling summit held in Dubai in March, India decided to play seven Tests, four against Australia and three against England, and seven ODIs against England between October and December 2008.
However, when the BCCI went to the drawing board to finalise the winter series itineraries, it realised that it cannot squeeze the promised number of matches during the period identified in the program.
It was left with just one option and that was to drop a Test from either of the two series, a study of the FTP revealed.
The BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, earlier this week, blamed the ICC's Future Tours Program for having to reduce a Test against England.
But an in-depth study of the FTP agreement reveals that it is the BCCI's own bilateral arrangement with Cricket Australia (CA) that is the real cause.
According to the FTP agreement, two Tests and three ODIs constitute a series but here India has a situation where it fulfills its ICC obligation but cannot reciprocate for its 2007 tour where it played three Tests and seven ODIs.
In sharp contrast, BCCI has agreed with CA to play four Tests, which goes beyond what is required by the FTP agreement.
A spokesman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) said, "The 10 Test playing countries were signatories to the FTP. Anything above two Tests and three ODIs is an arrangement between the respective boards." |
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