BCCI has its way as Australia agree to tour India in January 2020 for 3-ODI series

It is not often that the Australian cricket team tours abroad in January since it is the peak of their domestic season. However, the year 2020 is set to witness an exception as Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday decided to accommodate a short series in India in their summer. The Australian board had tried to adopt a counter strong-arm strategy by not sending three of its women cricketers to the ongoing Women’s T20 League in Jaipur alongside the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019.

CA had used the three cricketers – Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy – to “blackmail” BCCI before senior officials pointed out at top CA official Belinda Clark’s email. However, the two boards resolved the issue with the Australian board giving in for the India tour.

What is surprising is that the three-ODI series between India and Australia would see a reshuffling of Australia’s home international schedule and even deferring of the Chappell-Hadlee series.

“Cricket Australia will honour its commitment to tour India for three ODIs in mid-January, which had caused a reshuffle of the home international schedule and pushed back the Chappell-Hadlee series,” CA said on their official website while releasing their 2019-2020 itinerary.

Australia-NZ games will see Kangaroos visiting India in between

Earlier, it was decided that Australia will visit India for a 10-day limited-overs series in January 2020 as part of the FTP agreement between the two boards but broadcasters in Australia asked CA to backtrack. They wanted the Australia-New Zealand series to take place at the peak of the Australian summer.

Now, with the BCCI having its way through, the three-Test series between Australia and New Zealand will take place in December while the limited-overs games will take place in March. The Aussies will tour India meanwhile.

“CA took the position that while January was our preference for these ODI matches, there are times we need to honour our commitments to work in the greater context of international cricket scheduling,” CA’s Head of Cricket Operations Peter Roach was quoted as saying on CA’s official website.

Australia came to India for two-T20I and five-ODI series in March this year. While they won the T20I series 2-0, they also went on to win the ODI series 3-2 after trailing 0-2.

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