da esoccer bet： Until it receives an official response from its equivalent body inIndia, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has no plans to look for anew opponent for the series of three one-day international matches tobe staged in the country in September
John Polack28-May-2001Until it receives an official response from its equivalent body inIndia, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has no plans to look for anew opponent for the series of three one-day international matches tobe staged in the country in September.Following a decision late last week from India to play in Asian TestChampionship matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh instead, it nowseems that the ACB’s first-choice guest will be unable to commit tothe series unless its proposed dates are the subject of significantrevision.Originally, the ACB had been seeking India’s participation in matcheson 14, 16 and 18 September. But, after the Board of Control forCricket in India (BCCI)’s move to accept a request to play againstPakistan – from 13 to 17 September – as part of the Asian TestChampionship series, hopes that such a contest would proceed nowappear to have been scuttled. Following that Test – which will betheir first in Pakistan since December 1989 – the Indians are alsocommitted to playing a home Test against Bangladesh from 21 to 25September.Reports emanating from India today have quoted BCCI spokesmen asconfirming that a decision to decline the Australian invitation hasbeen taken.An ACB spokesman said on Monday, however, that no official responsefrom the BCCI has been received at this stage and that no contingencyplans necessarily exist at this point in time.If it were to be received, a negative reply from India would likelyforce the ACB to quickly direct its efforts to seeking a positiveresponse from another team. Sri Lanka, to which strong attentionreportedly turned in original discussions. Sri Lanka would shape asone strong contender to be invited to play in the match at the ‘Gabbaground in Brisbane and the two matches at Colonial Stadium inMelbourne that are expected to form the core of the series.South Africa, the Australians’ opponent in the corresponding serieslast year, is not likely to receive a return invite as it will beinvolved in Test and one-day international cricket in neighbouringZimbabwe throughout September.