England will play an alternative opponent next June if Zimbabwe pull out of their planned two-Test series.

Zimbabwe are scheduled to play Tests at Lord's and Durham's Riverside ground, which will become England's first new Test venue in 99 years.

But the series could be placed in jeopardy if England pull out of their World Cup match in Harare next February.

There will be a Test, if not against Zimbabwe then one of the other Test nations Durham chairman Bill Midgley

The British government is leaving a final decision on the match up to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), but has made clear that it does not support the trip.

Durham chairman Bill Midgley, though, said an alternative plan has been agreed for several months.

"If we lose the Zimbabwe Test then there is a contingency plan in place," Midgley told BBC Newcastle.

"The ECB anticipated problems so there will be a Test, if not against Zimbabwe then one of the other Test nations."

Midgley said that an agreement had already been made with an alternative team, but would not reveal which.

Pakistan will be in England to play in the new three-match NatWest Challenge one-day series in late June, but are not currently set to play any Tests.

South Africa are due to play four Tests in the country later in the summer but, of the remaining eight Test nations, only India and Bangladesh are not already committed.

However, the ECB refused to comment on whether any such plan was in place.

"If there was political uncertainty over a team then that is something that we would make contingency plans for," director of cricket operations John Carr told BBC Sport Online.