ECB announces revised itinerary for Indian tour

LAHORE—The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Thursday the revised itinerary for their tour of India which starts from Feb. 13.
England now play their three tests in Nagpur, Mohali and Mumbai, all three major test centres. The one-day internationals will be in Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Cochin, Guwahati, Jamshedpur and Indore.
ECB Director of Cricket Operations John Carr said the amended schedule allowed England to play in more temperate climates during the early part of the tour and offered a greater rest period between the end of the tour and the start of the home test series with Sri Lanka in May.
England begin their one-day series against Pakistan in Lahore on Saturday.
“We are grateful to the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI) for providing us with a revised itinerary and managed to ease significantly England’s travelling schedule,” Carr said.
“The changes allow England to play in more temperate climate during the early part of the tour, and just as importantly offers the players a greater rest period between the tour and home matches against Sri Lanka,” he added.
The initial itinerary had Tests in Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Mumbai and seven one-dayers in outposts like Goa, Indore, Guwahati, Faridabad, Cuttack, Cochin and Visakhapatnam.
The Punjab city of Mohali has now replaced Ahmedabad while the sequence of the one-day internationals has changed to Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Cochin, Guwahati, Jamshedpur and Indore.
The tour now runs from February 13 to April 15 after Pakistan agreed to postpone the Asia Cup which would have kept India busy until February 28. England will open with a three-day warm-up match in Mumbai from February 18-20.
England are in Pakistan ahead of a five-match one day series. They lost their Test series with Pakistan 2-0.
Carr said the changes would also benefit fans.
“Whilst Indian officials have had to work within the parameters of their rotation policy, the changes will allow spectators to watch top-class cricket in first-class facilities,” he said.
The BCCI last month declined to change the venues, saying it was a long-standing policy to rotate international matches among the 21 venues dotted across the country.
England, although satisfied with Mumbai, wanted to play other matches in traditional main centres such as New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata which have enough hotels for media and fans.
Britain’s Sunday Telegraph last month reported that the ECB were “considering the diplomatic snub of playing their warm-up games in Pakistan” after the BCCI slotted in two three-day practice matches at the start of the tour in out-of-the-way towns without luxury hotels.
“The changes allow England to play in more temperate climate during the early part of the tour, and just as importantly offers the players a greater rest period between the tour and home matches against Sri Lanka,” he added.
The initial itinerary had Tests in Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Mumbai and seven one-dayers in outposts like Goa, Indore, Guwahati, Faridabad, Cuttack, Cochin and Visakhapatnam.
The Punjab city of Mohali has now replaced Ahmedabad while the sequence of the one-day internationals has changed to Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Cochin, Guwahati, Jamshedpur and Indore.
However, a change in the BCCI set-up helped England to get a revised itinerary.
England itinerary for

India tour:
Feb 13: Arrival in Mumbai
Feb 18-20: Three day practice at CCI Mumbai
Feb 23-25: Three day first class v President eleven at Baroda
March 1-5: First test in Nagpur
Mar 9-13: Second test in Mohali
Mar 18-22: Third test in Mumbai
Mar 25: First one-day tour match at Jaipur
Mar 28: First ODI at Delhi
Mar 31: Second ODI at Faridabad
April 3: Third ODI at Goa
Apr 6: Fourth ODI at Cochin
Apr 9: Fifth ODI at Guwahati
Apr 12: Sixth ODI at Jamshedpur
Apr 15: Seventh ODI Indore

—Agencies