The Indian cricket board is yet to receive any request from its counterpart in New Zealand to fill the void left by the cancellation of the tour by the Sri Lankan cricket team following the tsunami devastation in the island nation.

"So far, we have not received any such request," BCCI president-elect Ranbir Singh Mahendra told PTI in Kolkata on Thursday.

Asked whether it would be possible for India to accommodate such a request from New Zealand, Mahendra said "It's a fact that we don't have much time as Pakistan are due to arrive here in February."

However, once the request was received, the matter would be placed before the board's Working Committee for a discussion.

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"The Working Committee has the authority to take a decision in such cases," he said.

On whether it might be a bit tough for the players, both mentally and physically, to undertake such an unscheduled grueling tour now at short notice, Mehendra said, "at present, I can't comment on these things. Let the request come and then we will decide."

Desperate for an alternative after the Sri Lankans called off the tour and to give the Black Caps some international competition before hosting world champions mid-February, New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive Martin Snedden said today that of the other Test-playing nations only India had a vacant January.

"I haven't had a chance to look closely at it but we'll have to do some work ... it's a possible option but I don't know whether it's workable or not," he said.