Indian TV is Prime playing field

As Graeme Smith8217;s South African squad returned to South Africa, news filtered through that their tour of India later in the year is goi...

As Graeme Smith8217;s South African squad returned to South Africa, news filtered through that their tour of India later in the year is going to consist of seven limited overs games and no Tests.

Television demands have dictated the schedule, and the question of when the Tests are going to be played as part of the ICC Ten-Year Calendar have been brushed off with a brusque 8216;8216;Later, when time allows. But they will be fitted in8217;8217;.

As it is, South Africa8217;s tour schedule for 2004 has already been thrown out of gear with the Sharjah tournament bypassed, while that of Sri Lanka still unsure because of a scheduling problem.

But the India visit, regarded as the most important outside that of New Zealand, is a serious test for a management under pressure after disappointing results against the Kiwis.

Another interesting development is that the ICC are now looking at the possibility 8212; again because of TV reasons 8212; of staging the Super Series of games between Australia and the World XI in India instead of South Africa.

Malcolm Speed, on a visit to Johannesburg, said chances of the shift taking place in September next year had come when it was found that more money would be generated by the Indian market than that in South Africa.

8216;8216;Nothing has been finalised but it is an option we are looking at because of the large TV marketing pull,8217;8217; said Speed then.

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Plus, there is also the matter of the ICC Champions Trophy being moved from England to India in September, a final decision on which will be taken in June. If the ECB decided not to tour Zimbabwe for anything but security reasons, then the ICC would have to reconsider the decision on whether or not England should still hold the Champions Trophy tournament due to start on September 10.

Zimbabwe recently toured Australia without any problems with their Prime Minister, John Howard, while disagreeing with the country8217;s politics, said this should not deflect from the touring side which was seen as playing an important ambassadorial role.