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| June 23, 2006 | Friday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1427 |
Kiwis focus on ODIs next season
WELLINGTON, June 22: New Zealand will play only two cricket Tests in the next domestic season, choosing instead to focus on the one-day game in the lead up to the World Cup starting in March.
The side will play Sri Lanka in two Tests as well as five One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka in December and January, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Thursday.
NZC chief executive Martin Snedden said the decision not to play a third Test against Sri Lanka was partly in order to prepare players for the World Cup and because one of three Tests would have to be played in November when weather conditions were unreliable.
“The amount of Test cricket scheduled in the next 18 months is minimal,” Snedden said.
“We believe it is more beneficial to concentrate on the one-day game as we lead into the World Cup and to prepare players for the Twenty20 World Cup.”
The World Cup will be played in the West Indies in March and April and the Twenty20 World Cup will be played in South Africa in September.
New Zealand schedule:
Sri Lanka tour:
Nov 30-Dec 3: Sri Lanka v Otago (Dunedin).
Dec 7-11: First Test (Christchurch).
Dec 15 to 19: Second Test (Wellington).
Dec 22: First Twenty20 International (Wellington).
Dec 26: Second Twenty20 International (Auckland).
Dec 28: First One day International (Napier).
Dec 31: Second One-day International (Queenstown, provisional).
Jan 2: Third One-day International (Christchurch).
Jan 6: Fourth One-day International (Auckland).
Jan 9: Fifth One-day International (Hamilton).
Australian tour:
Feb 16: First One-day International (Wellington).
Feb 18: Second One-day International (Auckland, TBC).
Feb 20: Third One-day International (Hamilton).—AFP
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