England to play India as summer 2011 scheduled announced
With England and Pakistan players, and the intrepid souls who fronted up to Lord’s today, forced to settle for watching the London drizzle for the duration of the morning session, the ECB filled the cricket news void by releasing next year’s England schedule.
It’s a schedule that will see this summer’s Test adversaries of Bangladesh and Pakistan replaced by South Asia’s other two Test playing nations, Sri Lanka and then India.
“With India currently the number one ranked side in the ICC Test rankings and Sri Lanka in third place, England supporters can expect to see two exciting npower Test series against high quality opposition,” ECB chief executive David Collier said.
Sri Lanka will be first up for an England Test team that will either be comfortably seated on cloud nine or sporting a more than a few bruises from months spent kicking themselves after their return from Australia and their attempt at an Ashes defence.
When Sri Lanka finally depart after three Tests, one Twenty20 International and five ODIs played between May 26th and July 9th, India will arrive for a four-Test series, beginning at Lord’s on July 21st, before moving on to one Twenty20 International and five ODIs of their own against the home side, with their tour concluding in Cardiff on September 16th.