Cricket: Sri Lanka could play abandoned tests in April

The Sri Lankan cricket team have been invited to revive their abandoned tour of New Zealand with two test matches in mid-April.

Under the proposal, which New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Martin Snedden confirmed yesterday, the four one-day internationals which were left unplayed when Sri Lanka's tour was abandoned last month, would still be postponed.

The tourists played just one one-day match before returning home following the tsunami which struck South Asia on December 26.

NZC was left with a difficult task to rescedule the tour in a packed international calendar.

"There are a number of options and one is to look at a couple of tests in the first half of April," Snedden told The Dominion Post newspaper.

"We've looked at the weather patterns, as much as you can nowadays, and there is no significant difference between April and March so it's certainly worth a serious look."

The last test of the home summer has traditionally started in late March, sometimes extending into April before giving way to rugby. The only stumbling block might be Sky Television's ability to provide full coverage when the Super 12 rugby tournament is on.

Snedden said the mid-April offer was just one of several options put to the Sri Lankan board.

When the tour was abandoned on compassionate grounds just under a fortnight ago, both boards indicated a willingness to reschedule the series and set themselves a deadline of having it completed inside two years.

"One thing I will say is Sri Lanka are very keen to have the tour rescheduled, so that is making life a lot easier," Snedden said.

"I estimate we should get things wrapped up this coming week."

He would not be drawn on where the two proposed tests would be played.

Snedden told the newspaper it was impossible to tack the remaining one-day games on to the mid-April test option because of the availability of grounds during the Super 12.

The four outstanding matches were scheduled to be played at Napier, Queenstown, Hamilton and Christchurch.

Meanwhile, Snedden is expected to confirm today a three-match one-day series between New Zealand and a World Invitation 11 to be staged this month.

Among the names being touted are Australians Shane Warne, Michael Bevan, Justin Langer, Greg Blewett, Andy Bichel and Nathan Bracken.

Others linked include Sri Lankans Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, South Africa's Lance Klusener and England's Darren Gough.

- NZPA