Curtailed India tour means no Newlands test for South Africa

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa will host India for tests in Johannesburg and Durban in December but there will be no lucrative New Year match in Cape Town, Cricket South Africa confirmed on Wednesday. The lack of a Newlands test means the famous venue misses out an early January match for just the sixth time in 22 years, depriving South Africa of a contest at what is traditionally the most well-supported event of the international season. The Indian schedule is a much-curtailed itinerary to the three test, seven one-day international and two Twenty20 match tour originally proposed in July. The tour has fallen victim to a dispute between the boards of the two countries with South Africa forced to remove chief executive Haroon Lorgat from having any dealings with the BCCI before the visit could go ahead. India will now arrive in South Africa on December 2 and open with a three-match one-day international series in Johannesburg (December 5), Durban (December 8) and Pretoria (December 11). The Indians will then play a two-day warm-up match against a South African Invitational XI starting on December 14. The first test match will be in Johannesburg from December 18-22, before they return to Durban for the second game from December 26-30. As things stand, South Africa will have no more international cricket in their home summer until the arrival of Australia for a three-match test series starting in mid-February. Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani said they were trying to find another opponent at short notice. "I would 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," he said in a CSA statement. (Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by John O'Brien)