The annual meeting of the International Cricket Conference in London on 12 July 1968 agreed a programme of tours including M.C.C. (in fact England) visiting South Africa in 1976-77.
The Cricket Council called off the 1976-77 tour after a meeting at Lord’s on 12 September 1975. It acknowledged the progress made towards multi-racial cricket but regretted that “our requirements for the resumption of Test cricket with South Africa have not yet been fully met”.
The original ICC tours schedule had England visiting India and Pakistan in 1977-78 so the Indian tour was brought forward by one year.