WELLINGTON, Jan 19: India’s cricket tour to New Zealand scheduled for early next year has been postponed until late 2008, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Thursday.

The tour, which was to include three Tests and five one-day matches, was postponed with the agreement of both countries, NZC said in a statement.

The World Cup had been rescheduled to the start of March from early April, not allowing enough time for the tour to take place, it said.

“Following the ICC’s decision NZC and the BCCI discussed various rescheduling options before finally agreeing that the tour should take place in December 2008,” chief executive Martin Snedden said.

Cricket tours and competitions are scheduled in the ICC’s future tour programme and the world body is angered India is threatening to go its own way.—AFP