India's tour of South Africa is on: Jagmohan Dalmiya to NDTV
The West Indies tour effectively means the tour of South Africa will be seriously trimmed. The African safari was due to begin with a tour game on November 18.
Interim Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya has confirmed that India's tour of South Africa later this year will go ahead. There had been speculation that the tour would be scrapped after the Board invited West Indies to tour India in November.
"The tour is on," Dalmiya told NDTV.
At the BCCI's working committee meeting in Kolkata on Sunday, the tour of South Africa was put on hold. India were slated to tour the Rainbow Nation for two Twenty20s, seven ODIs and three Tests starting November 21, 2013.
India will now play a home series against the West Indies in November. The Caribbeans will travel to India for two Tests and three one-day internationals, the West Indies Cricket Board confirmed on Tuesday night. The dates and venues of the matches are yet to be announced.
The West Indies tour effectively means the tour of South Africa will be seriously trimmed. The African safari was due to begin with a tour game on November 18, but if India are to play five matches against West Indies after the Australia ODIs that end on November 2, the South African tour is unlikely to start before November 30.
India must complete the South African tour by mid-January because BCCI has already agreed to tour New Zealand. The first ODI versus the Kiwis is scheduled on January 19, 2014.
According to sources, officials between India and South Africa are expected to meet shortly to decide on the itinerary. A minimum of two Test matches and three ODIs must be played to constitute a series.