India plans ODI series in US

The Indian cricket board is planning to organise a one-day series in the United States this year, secretary Niranjan Shah said on Wednesday.

"We are exploring possibilities of playing in North America in September," Shah told Reuters. "Nothing has been finalised, but West Indies and Australia could be the other teams."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said last month it would play around 25 one-dayers in the next five years in neutral venues such as the United States and Europe to raise funds and help Indians living abroad to watch their team in action.

Other proposed venues include Hong Kong, Canada, Netherlands, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Shah said the BCCI had initially wanted to organise a tri-series in the Gulf venue of Abu Dhabi in September but had decided to shelve the plan.

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The Indian media quoted a senior BCCI official as saying that the decision was due to Pakistan pulling out because of their tight schedule. The event was planned between their Test tour of England and the ICC Champions Trophy in October-November.

Shah said a tournament in the United States would draw thousands of Indians and Caribbean fans living there. "There are lot of Indians there, we can play on the West coast in Los Angeles or in the East in New Jersey," he said.

The Indian board's plans come at a time of serious concern over the crowded schedule, especially for one-day internationals.

International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has expressed concern over player injuries and burnouts, saying it was up to the national boards to manage their schedules.