MELBOURNE, July 6: Australia may not hold a tri-nation limited-overs cricket series in 2008-09 for the first time in 29 years, but the event would return to the calendar the following summer and stay until at least 2012.

South Africa and New Zealand are presently due to play five one-dayers each in two series rather than appearing in the format used for the CB Series.

Jumbled scheduling, which has also led to Australia delaying the start of their annual ODI tournament until next February, is behind the programming proposal. India’s first Test will be in Melbourne on Boxing Day, which in recent history has been the second-last five-day contest of the season.

Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s Operations Manager, told The Australian ratings and attendances showed the tri-series was still popular but hiccup existed in the scheduling.

“There’s a hurdle again in 2008-09,” he said. “We need to work with both New Zealand and South Africa to determine what the programme looks like. At this stage we have them committed for five one-day games each.”

Official tri-series have been staged in Australia since 1979-80, but the duration of the tournament - it lasted a month and contained 14 matches in 2006-07 - has made it more difficult to attract two outfits simultaneously.

Sri Lanka, who play two Tests against Australia in November, will return in January to join India as the visitors for the next CB Series.—Agencies