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CL T20

England skipper Kevin Pietersen says he is not aware of any requests by the BCCI to defer the start of the Test series by a day.

The request made by the Indian cricket board to their English counterpart to defer the start of the Test series by a day has come as a surprise to Pietersen who said right now he's not in the picture to talk on the issue.

"I heard about it only half an hour ago. I have got nothing to do in the negotiations (between BCCI and his home board ECB). I will find out exactly what the issue is about and then come out with an answer," he said at the post-match media conference after his side lost to India by 54 runs in the second ODI here today.

The BCCI has requested the England and Wales Cricket Board to put off the start of the first match of the two-Test series at Ahmedabad, scheduled on December 11, by a day to allow Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to play in the Champions T20 League final (on December 10) in case his team, Chennai Super Kings, makes it to the title contest.

"I can confirm that an approach has been made by the Indian board to put it off by a day, but no decision has been taken so far," England team's media manager Andrew Walpole told PTI earlier today.

Walpole also said that the approach was made by the BCCI apparently to help Dhoni's case in the December 3-10 USD six million dollar prize money event jointly owned by the BCCI and its Australian and South African counterparts.

Walpole also indicated that the ECB was not likely to respond to the BCCI request for another 48 hours.

The first Test is to be held from December 11 at Ahmedabad's Motera stadium, barely a day after the Champions League final at Chennai.