India tour venues stay unchanged

India will not change the venues for the home series against England later this year despite complaints from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

India cricket chiefs said it was the hosts' prerogative to pick the venues.

"Our venues are always decided on the basis of a rotation policy," said secretary Niranjan Shah.

Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai will not host any internationals at theirtop grounds. The ECB said: "Fans will not see the great Indian grounds."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to play the two Tests in December in Ahmedabad and at Mumbai's small Brabourne Stadium - not at the city's 40,000-seater Wankhede Stadium.

The seven preceding one-day matches will be played in Rajkot, Guwahati, Cuttack, Jamshedpur, Indore, Kanpur and Delhi.

Shah added that the BCCI was disappointed that the ECB had aired its grievances with the media.

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"We do not quite understand how and why the ECB has chosen to air its grievances over this policy in the media," Shah said on cricketnirvana.com.

"Whenever the Indian team has toured England, some of the venues have not been up to the mark in terms of facilities for Indian players and supporters.

"However, we have complied and gone ahead and played, for it is the host board's prerogative to fix the itinerary."

The tour has yet to receive the green light from England, who want security checks at the considered venues.

"As far as the ECB are concerned the acceptance of the itinerary remains subject to acceptable logistical arrangements," said an ECB statement.

"It is also subject to an acceptable security environment and security arrangements being in place at each of the venues."

England arrive in Mumbai on 6 November and begin their final match, the second Test, on 19 December.

Tour dates:

Nov 6: England arrive in Mumbai

Nov 9: One-day warm-up match in Mumbai (venue tbc)

Nov 11: One-day warm-up match in Mumbai (venue tbc)

Nov 14: 1st One-day international, Rajkot

Nov 17: 2nd One-day international, Indore

Nov 20: 3rd One-day international, Kanpur

Nov 23: 4th One-day international, Jamshedpur

Nov 26: 5th One-day international, Cuttack

Nov 29: 6th One-day international, Guwahati

Dec 2: 7th One-day international, Delhi

Dec 5: Three-day warm-up match, Baroda

Dec 11: First Test, Ahmedabad

Dec 19: Second Test, Mumbai (Brabourne Stadium)

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