New Zealand Cricket has moved swiftly to ensure its world champion women's team have not been left in the lurch after the cancellation of their tour to India.

The CLEAR White Ferns are to have a pre-Christmas tour to Australia, after a week in Christchurch which will also involve three games against a New Zealand A team at Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln.

It is a double bonus for the game here, as prospective internationals will be included in the A team, increasing their exposure to top level play.

White Ferns captain Emily Drumm said NZC had bent over backwards to get the side a tour together.

"They have done a very good job to get us a tour.

"It's a little bit artificial but at least we have some cricket together where we weren't going to get any," she said.

"It's been done fairly quickly, and as quietly as possible. I only knew about it last week when I was asked if I would be available," she said.

Drumm said she had had no time to dwell on the disappointment of not touring India due to the war on terrorism in the region.

"I haven't had time to think about it to be honest, I've been too busy at work," she said.

There had been reasonable chances to play club cricket in Auckland but the conditions had been trying and Drumm was looking forward to getting onto some reasonable pitches.

The team will assemble at Lincoln on December 9, with games against the A team on December 10, 12 and 13.

The team will leave for Brisbane on December 15 where it will play three games against Queensland on December 17, 19 and 20. The side returns home on December 21.

A home and away series against Australia will still be played in February-March.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said: "We've been working towards putting together an alternative tour for the CLEAR White Ferns since their planned tour to India was cancelled earlier this month.

"To be perfectly honest it is difficult to organise meaningful tours for our women's teams because, apart from Australia, who with New Zealand are clearly at the top of women's international cricket, there is really only England and, to a lesser degree, India who can offer us any genuine competition."

Snedden said women's cricket in New Zealand, Australia and England was of a higher standard than other countries because it was integrated with the governing bodies who run the men's game.

"I think it's fair to say that some of the governing bodies of cricket-playing nations do not, at this stage, give women's cricket the support it clearly warrants and this is reflected in the lack of development of the women's game in those countries," he said.

Snedden said he intends to raise the issue at the next ICC meeting.

"Those who saw last year's CricInfo Women's World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia will be aware of the high quality women's cricket these two countries are playing.

"Obviously it is in the interests of New Zealand women's cricket that the game continues to develop at international level," he said.

The team is: Emily Drumm (captain), Kathryn Ramel (vice-captain), Sarah Burke, Anna Corbin, Paula Flannery, Fiona Fraser, Erin McDonald, Aimee Mason, Anna O'Leary, Nicola Payne, Rachel Pullar, Rebecca Rolls, Haidee Tiffen, Emily Travers, Helen Watson.

© CricInfo