PNN & Agencies
Mumbai, June 9: International cricket will return to the Barabati Stadium after a gap of over a year when the venue will host one of the five ODIs against England in the 2016-17 season. This is according to a release issued by the BCCI here Thursday. The BCCI had earlier scrapped all international cricket at the venue since October 2015.
Meanwhile, the BCCI announced six new Test centres including Dharamsala and Ranchi, will host five-day matches for the first time during a packed home season for the Indian cricket team beginning with the New Zealand series in September.
A busy international schedule awaits the Indian team in the coming home season with 13 Test matches, eight ODIs and three T20 Internationals to be played in the country.
Rajkot, Vizag, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi and Indore, upgraded as Test centres in November last year, will host one of the 13 Tests each. The countries to visit India are New Zealand, England, Australia and Bangladesh, the BCCI announced after the meeting of its tour programmes and fixtures committee here Thursday.
The home season will start with three Tests and five ODIs against the Kiwis followed by five Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is against England. Australia are to visit India in February-March, 2017 to play four Tests while Bangladesh is slated to play a one-off Test match in India for the first time since the country got Test status.
“I welcome the new Test venues hosting this prestigious format of cricket and their arrival will take Test cricket, to every corner of the country,” said BCCI president Anurag Thakur in the release.