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SA v India venues confirmed

Cape Town - The fixtures for India's shortened tour to South Africa were confirmed on Wednesday in a joint statement from Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The cautiously worded statement followed months of uncertainty after the BCCI accused CSA of prematurely releasing the original tour dates in July.

The BCCI claimed it had never agreed to the proposed 12-match schedule, which included three Tests, seven one-day internationals (ODI), and two Twenty20 matches.

The number of matches was in accordance with the Future Tours Programme (FTP) agreed by ICC member countries more than three years ago.

After negotiations back and forth over the past few weeks, the two parties finally settled on a revised itinerary of two Tests and three ODIs.

"After the completion of our two Test matches against India we will have a further three Tests against Australia," CSA president Chris Nenzani said in the statement.

"This will allow all of our five premier Test match venues to host a five-day match.

"I would also like to assure all our stakeholders that we are working on plans to fill the gaps in our international itinerary for the 2013/14 season."

What Nenzani did not make clear was that Australia had always been scheduled to tour South Africa in February, but Newlands in Cape Town would lose out on its traditional New Year's Test, one of the most popular events on the cricket calendar.

Kingsmead in Durban, however, would be celebrating the return of its Boxing Day Test which the venue lost out on last year.

CSA was also reportedly in discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board to hastily organise a return series immediately after the two teams' current contest being played in the United Arab Emirates - Pakistan's "home" venue.

India will arrive in South Africa on December 2.

India Tour Itinerary

December 5: 1st ODI, Wanderers (Day/Night)
December 8: 2nd ODI, Kingsmead (Day)
December 11: 3rd ODI, SuperSport Park (Day/Night)

December 14-15: Two-day tour match v SA Invitation XI, Willowmoore Park

December 18-22: 1st Test, Wanderers
December 26-30: 2nd Test, Kingsmead

HAVE YOUR SAY: Your thoughts on Cape Town - the most supported ground in SA - being snubbed as a venue for any of the ODIs and Tests? Did CSA forget every Test in summer in Durban is affected by inclement weather? Send your thoughts to Sport24.
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