BCCI to meet for finalising SL series

The BCCI working committee is set to formally ratify on October 21 a hastily-arranged five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka following the West Indies pullout. The decision-making body of the BCCI will also discuss Sri Lanka Cricket's proposal to move next year's three-Test series between the two countries from India to Sri Lanka.

The working committee, in consultation with the tour, programme and fixtures committee, will finalise the itinerary of the Sri Lanka series. The five ODIs are scheduled to be played on November 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14, with Cuttack and Kolkata set to host the first two ODIs.

While Patel had earlier confirmed that Kolkata will be awarded a match since the Cricket Association of Bengal had been allotted the fifth ODI against West Indies for celebrating 150 years of Eden Gardens, Odisha Cricket Association secretary Asirbad Behera confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Cuttack is set to host the "opening ODI against Sri Lanka on November 2". Cuttack was earlier scheduled to host the lone Twenty20 against West Indies.

It was not clear if the three Test venues for the West Indies series - Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad - will get to host an ODI instead. The BCCI follows separate rotation systems for ODIs and Tests. Hyderabad, the home of interim president Shivlal Yadav, is likely to get an ODI, while one of the remaining two ODIs could be hosted at Ranchi, the home of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association. The JSCA is a key aide of N Srinivasan who is hoping to be nominated for the BCCI president's post from the east zone next month.

As for the SLC proposal of swapping venue for the next year's Test series, the working committee may approve it as a return gesture to SLC agreeing to tour India at a very short notice. The BCCI hierarchy believes they should agree to the switch to keep a key supporter in the ICC happy. The meeting will take into account the financial aspect before taking the final call.