Melbourne, Dec 29: Australian cricket officials have yet to decide their stance on next year's tour of Zimbabwe. With Zimbabwe's relationship with Australia at an all-time low because of Australia's push for the African nation to remain suspended from the Commonwealth -- and Zimbabwe's subsequent decision to quit the body -- the tour is set to be a hot topic of debate in the new year.
But Cricket Australia (CA) said they will wait until February before they put the Zimbabwe tour on the agenda amid a tour of Sri Lanka in February and a possible one-day series in Sharjah in April.
Australia are scheduled to play two Tests and five one-day matches in Zimbabwe in May and June and CA spokesman Peter Young today confirmed the tour would not be discussed until well into 2004.
"We have Steve Waugh's farewell Test series against India, then the one-day series and the tour of Sri Lanka (in February), so it is a busy schedule right now," Young said.
"So we have our fingers on the pulse in regard to Zimbabwe, but only lightly on the pulse at this stage."
The Australian cricketers association will also wait until mid-January before they turn their attention to Zimbabwe. Bureau Report