There will be no let up in the workload of the Indian cricketers next year. The team is slated to play as many as 11 Test matches at home, including a possible tour by Pakistan, as well as the men's and women's Twenty20 World Cup. Besides, there will be the two big annual fixtures, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Champions League T20, in India to complete an extremely tight schedule for players.
As is evident from a look at the itinerary, the men's team will be as busy as ever. Immediately after the end of ongoing home series against the West Indies - the five match ODI series ends on December 11 - the team will leave for Australia for four Tests and a triangular ODI series, involving the hosts and Sri Lanka. India's league phase of the triangular ends on March 2 and if the team reaches the best-of-three finals, the tour could stretch up to March 8 when the third final, if required, will be played.
On returning home, the team may play three Tests, five ODIs, and one Twenty20 International against Pakistan, provided the tour is approved by the governments of the two countries. Soon after this series, the long-drawn IPL will be played from April 4 to May 27.
It will be followed by a tour of Sri Lanka where three Tests are scheduled to be played. But a top BCCI official said on Wednesday that the Board was trying to accommodate a few ODIs. "We are in talks with the Sri Lankan board and, if it agrees, to add a few ODIs, it would help the team get good practice before the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka (September 18- October 7)," he said.
"New Zealand will also tour India to play three Tests." In the winter of 2012, England will tour India for four Tests, seven ODIs, and one T20 International. England recently toured India to play five ODIs and, explaining the successive tours, the official said: "Now, we split Test and ODI series, meaning the two formats are not played in the same series." This arrangement also exists between the BCCI and the South African board.
As the 'big boys' play each other, Bangladesh continues to be ignored by the BCCI. Eleven years since it was granted Test status, the country is yet to play a Test match on Indian soil, and there's no knowing when it would visit India. The main reason cited for the continued cold shoulder is that Bangladesh is an unglamorous team and a series with it would not fetch as much money as a series with any other country.
On returning home, the team may play three Tests, five ODIs, and one Twenty20 International against Pakistan, provided the tour is approved by the governments of the two countries. Soon after this series, the long-drawn IPL will be played from April 4 to May 27.
It will be followed by a tour of Sri Lanka where three Tests are scheduled to be played. But a top BCCI official said on Wednesday that the Board was trying to accommodate a few ODIs. "We are in talks with the Sri Lankan board and, if it agrees, to add a few ODIs, it would help the team get good practice before the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka (September 18- October 7)," he said.
"New Zealand will also tour India to play three Tests." In the winter of 2012, England will tour India for four Tests, seven ODIs, and one T20 International. England recently toured India to play five ODIs and, explaining the successive tours, the official said: "Now, we split Test and ODI series, meaning the two formats are not played in the same series." This arrangement also exists between the BCCI and the South African board.
As the 'big boys' play each other, Bangladesh continues to be ignored by the BCCI. Eleven years since it was granted Test status, the country is yet to play a Test match on Indian soil, and there's no knowing when it would visit India. The main reason cited for the continued cold shoulder is that Bangladesh is an unglamorous team and a series with it would not fetch as much money as a series with any other country.
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