Australian Cricket Board cancels plans for possible Morocco tour

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) has cancelled plans to take part in an ICC-sanctioned one-day international cricket tournament in Morocco in August-September.

However, it has told tournament organisers, Sharjah-based Cricketer Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), that the ACB remains interested in future series.

ACB General Manager Cricket Operations Michael Brown said scheduling problems had resulted in the decision to cancel planning for the tour.

The ACB had also been monitoring the security situation in Morocco and assessing player workload.

There were a number of issues to manage but in the end, it came down to a problem with dates, Mr Brown said.

The decision was made after consultation with organisers, players, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Cricketers Association during recent weeks.

The Australian team is due back from the Travelex Tour of the West Indies on 4 June and due to play the three-Test and VB One Day International series against Bangladesh in Darwin and in Cairns in July-August before scheduled player annual leave in September. Three Tests are due to be played against Zimbabwe in October before a triangular VB ODI series against India and New Zealand in India in October-November.

We have told CBFS we are still very interested in future visits, particularly if they can be developed to become a permanent part of the international cricket calendar, Mr Brown said.

They have a successful track record running tournaments in Sharjah and more recently in Morocco.

The Travelex Tour of Morocco would have involved Australia playing a maximum of five one-day internationals including a final in a round robin triangular tournament played against yet-to-be advised opponents at Tangier.

Mr Brown said the ACB hoped to now organise alternative ACB-contract player activity, such as development training during the time that would have been spent in Morocco.