England unhappy with India itinerary

Posted 07 15 2008 3:32AM

LONDON (AFP) - English cricket chiefs reacted with "disappointment" on Monday after receiving the proposed itinerary for England's tour of India later this year, warning they'd yet to accept it fully.

What particularly upset officials at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was the lack of international matches at India's major grounds such as Calcutta's Eden Gardens, Bangalore and Chennai while neither of the scheduled two Tests is being played in Delhi, which they said represented a snub to fans.

An ECB statement issued Monday said: "ECB are disappointed that, despite their representations, the itinerary doesn't offer the thousands of supporters who follow the England team abroad the opportunity to experience more of the great cricket grounds of India.

"As far as the ECB are concerned, the acceptance of the itinerary remains subject to acceptable logistical arrangements and an an acceptable security environment and security arrangements being in place at each of the venues."

England's tour, which begins in November, also features seven one-day internationals.

That follows an agreement the ECB reached with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about the tour series to India in 2008 and the reciprocal tour to England in 2011.

The BCCI preferred England play two Test matches and seven one-day internationals rather than three Tests and five one-day internationals.

In 2011 the ECB's preference was for four Test matches, five one-day internationals and an international Twenty20 on India's tour of England.

England tour of India dates:

Nov 06: England arrive, Mumbai

Nov 09: One-day warm-up match, Mumbai

Nov 11: One-day warm-up match, Mumbai

Nov 14: 1ST 0DI v INDIA, Rajkot

Nov 17: 2ND ODI v INDIA, Indore

Nov 20: 3RD ODI v INDIA, Kanpur

Nov 23: 4TH ODI v INDIA, Jamshedpur

Nov 26: 5TH ODI v INDIA, Cuttack

Nov 29: 6TH ODI v INDIA, Guwahati

Dec 02: 7th ODI v INDIA, Delhi

Dec 05: 3-day warm-up match, Baroda

Dec 11: 1ST TEST v INDIA, Ahmedabad

Dec 19: 2ND TEST v INDIA, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai