BCCI moots minor changes to Australia, Pak tour itineraries

Mumbai, June 21 (UNI) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to make minor changes in the itineraries of the forthcoming tours by Australia in September-October and the one by Pakistan in November-December.

The changes have been necessitated following the desire of the Haryana Cricket Association to host the one-day-international (ODI) against Pakistan at Chandigarh's Sector 16 stadium instead of the originally scheduled Faridabad, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said.

''Haryana wants the match to be played in Chandigarh and not at Faridabad. We have written to the International Cricket Council to approve the new venue,'' Shah explained.

As per the programme finalised at the BCCI's working committee meeting in Delhi earlier this month, the fourth ODI against Australia was to be held on Oct 8 at Guwahati.

Shah said that as per the changes mooted, this match could be moved to Chandigarh in which case Guwahati would get to host the ODI against Pakistan, scheduled for November 6 at Faridabad.

''Punjab Cricket Association is to host the second ODI against Pakistan at Mohali. We can not have HCA also hosting another match of the same series in the same city of Chandigarh,'' Shah explained.

Australia are to play a seven-match ODI series against India between September 29 and October 17 at Bangalore (D/N), Kochi, Hyderabad, Guwahati/Chandigarh, Vadodara, Nagpur and Mumbai (D/N).

Later, Pakistan are to engage India in five ODIs between November 6 and 18 at Faridabad/Guwahati, Mohali, Kanpur, Gwalior and Jaipur (D/N).

A three-Test series between the Asian rivals follows from November 22 to December 12 with the venues being Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore.

UNI