South Africa's tour to Zimbabwe postponed

South Africa's proposed trip to Zimbabwe at the end of this month, when they were slated to play three one-dayers, has been put aside for the time being and is likely to be scheduled at a later date.

Gerald Majola, the chief executive of the South African board, confirmed this and added that the players did not want to tour in July owing to their commitments to counties in the English domestic circuit. "Zimbabwe are now looking to see if they can accommodate us in September for two or three games, whatever we can get," Majola told the SuperSport website.

The tour would have provided Mickey Arthur, the new coach, a chance to ease himself into international cricket as well as allow the players a chance to familiarise themselves with the new ODI innovations. Also, the matches against relatively weak opposition would have been ideal for Graeme Smith to serve his two-match ban, after he was pulled up for South Africa's slow over-rate in the West Indies.

South Africa's first assignment of the season will now be a series against New Zealand, who overpowered them 5-1 in the last one-day series that the two sides played last year.