SYDNEY, CMC:
THE WEST Indies tour of Australia later this year, which was rescheduled from late 2004, is now set to be reduced to a three-Test series because of a hectic international schedule.
Cricket Australia wants to host two three-Test series against the West Indies and South Africa and squeeze a Twenty20 competition into next summer's programme.
James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said Cricket Australia planned to downgrade the traditional five-Test series against West Indies to three, and give Hobart its first Test since 2000-01.
"All we can really say at this stage is we are working towards a six-Test summer next season, but in terms of how that falls and where the matches fall, it's way too early to be confirming that," he said.
HECTIC SCHEDULE
Sutherland said scheduling made it too difficult to stage a five-Test series against West Indies. The last time West Indies visited for a Test tour, they lost 5-0.
It means that the West Indies, who have slipped close to the bottom of the Test rankings in recent years, will have to share the summer with South Africa, with each series likely to contain three Tests.
This is the second time in two years that the West Indies has found itself in a situation where a Test series has been cut. In 2004, their traditional five-Test summer tour of England was also reduced to a four-Test tour, with the Windies failing to win a single Test.
This decision by Cricket Australia leaves the Ashes series, where Australia squares off with England, as the only series in which the Australian team will play five Tests.
The extra matches add to the demands of players already worried about the expanding fixture list. As the world's top Test team, Australia will figure in a one-off match against the Rest of the World in October, and the series also includes three one-day matches.
Australia will then face New Zealand in the best-of-three Chappell-Hadlee Series before the home Tests.
Sri Lanka are expected to join Australia and South Africa in next summer's VB Series because West Indies are playing in the current competition.
