International Cricket Council hails India-South Africa tests

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat today welcomed India's effort to squeeze in a two-test series against South Africa early next year, and asked member boards to find a balance between cricket's three formats.

"It's the responsibility of the member boards to schedule bilateral series. I learnt that initially no test had been scheduled, but they will now play a two-test series, and perhaps that's the best that can be done in the current scenario," Lorgat said here.

India ended the year as the number one test team in the world, only to find that they have scheduled just two tests in the next 11 months, which the cricket board realised was just not enough to protect the tag.

A last-minute effort was made to convince South Africa to drop two one-dayers and play a couple of tests when they tour India in February-March.

Cricket South Africa, in principle, has agreed to the idea, but the schedule has not been announced yet.

Lorgat said ICC expected its member boards to behave responsibly and strike a balance among the three formats of the game.

"We would want to see an appropriate balance of test, one day and twenty20 cricket. We have our guideline, but the specific scheduling rests with the member boards, and we would like them to be responsible enough and strike the right balance," the ICC official said.