England and Indian boards begin scheduling tussle

Not for the first time, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is involved in a tussle over scheduling of home tours. The England Cricket Board (ECB) has sent out a virtual ultimatum by asking the BCCI to provide the itinerary for England's tour, scheduled for early next year, "no later" than October 31. However, the BCCI have responded in the negative and made it clear that it wasn't possible to finalise the schedule owing to "several constraints".

According to Indo Asian News Service, David Morgan, the chairman of the ECB, sent a letter to Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former president of the BCCI where he said: "May I please request that the unprecedented issues are handled as a matter of the utmost urgency and that the tour itineraries are proposed to ECB no later than the end of October for release on or before Nov 2."

Both the boards have agreed on a tentative schedule - with the Tests set to be played between March 8 and 29 and the ODIs from April 4 to 22 - for the series that will include three Tests and seven ODIs. But the final itinerary has been partly delayed owing to the postponement of the BCCI's annual general meeting, which was set for September but is yet to be reconvened. The lack of a new set of office bearers has become an obstacle to the transaction of usual business.

SK Nair, the secretary of the BCCI, admitted that the letters had been received and added that it would not be possible to meet the ECB's demand to release the itinerary by October 31. "We have ample time as the tour begins only in March," Nair said. "We can't release the itinerary by October 31, but we understand the ECB's anxiety. I can't announce any cut off date now. Our board president will speak to Morgan."

Both boards had fought a long and bitter battle in 2001, when England toured last, over the number of matches to be played. The BCCI have had similar run-ins with the Pakistan and South African board in the past, where the boards have been unhappy about a decision not being taken well in advance.