West Indies Tour of India Cancelled, Announces BCCI: Latest Details and Comment
Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 22
The ICC has stated it cannot intervene in the West Indies' cancelled tour of India unless the matter is referred through official channels.
The BCCI is planning legal action after the West Indies pulled out of the tour of India due to an internal contract dispute. A statement on the ICC's website read:
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"The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday it was concerned with the dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), and was closely monitoring the developments arising from the recently cancelled tour of India.
The ICC hopes that the matter will be resolved amicably, but clarified that, unless the matter is otherwise referred to it, it does not have the power to intervene in disputes resulting from a bilateral FTP tour.
The ICC added that the matter will be discussed at the ICC Board meeting, which is scheduled for 10 November in Dubai. Until then, the ICC will make no further comment on this matter."
Updates from Tuesday, Oct. 21
Days after the West Indies cancelled their tour of India after completing three of five matches in the country, it has emerged the BCCI will take legal action against the WCIB for its abrupt exit. ESPNcricinfo reported the news:
The BCCI also confirmed match locations for the visit of Sri Lanka, who have stepped in to help India complete a full schedule:
Original Text
The West Indies cricket team have pulled out of the current tour of India after a contract dispute between the side's players and West Indies Cricket Board.
ESPNcricinfo confirmed the team will complete Friday's one-day international in Dharamsala before exiting the tour:
BCCI added more official detail:
"Following the decision of the WICB to cancel its ongoing tour of India, the BCCI commenced discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket for a limited-overs series in India in November 2014.
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Sri Lanka Cricket has confirmed a five-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka, to be played from 1 November 2014. The series promises to be an exciting one, with Sri Lanka placed 4th in the world rankings in ODIs. India is ranked 3rd, with only 2 points separating the teams.
As noted by Sportskeeda, West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo received a show of support from his team-mates at the toss, who gathered around him when the decision was made public. However, a BCCI press release stated the West Indies Cricket Board made the final call, as noted by ESPN FC:
BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel admitted his disappointment after receiving a sudden notification from India's scheduled opponents. "They have withdrawn their team and this (development) has come abruptly. We received an email from Richie Richardson, the West Indies team manager, only this morning," said Patel, as reported by Nagraj Gollapudi of ESPNcricinfo.
In Patel's official statement, he confirmed the BCCI is "shocked and extremely disappointed" to learn the intentions of the West Indies. Patel says the decision "does not reflect well on any of those involved" and "gives little thought to the future of the game, the players and the long standing relations between the BCCI and the WICB."
Patel also made a point of confirming a "unilateral" decision was made despite "several appeals" from the Indian board. He confirms the BCCI will involve the International Cricket Council while "seeking appropriate action" to ensure "those of the game at large will not suffer any damage due to such acts of indiscretion."
BCCI provided a timeline of correspondence as well.
Unfortunately, this brings an end to an otherwise entertaining series. The West Indies won the tour's opening match by 124 runs in Kochi and then lost the second despite suggestions they could pull out before the event, as reported by Cricket Country.
Tuesday's third ODI was cancelled due to Cyclone Hudhud travelling through the eastern region of India, per BBC Sport. The teams journeyed straight to Dharamsala from Delhi before Bravo led the team to the crease.
He has been acting as the players' representative through this ongoing scenario. Problems began when the West Indies team were kept "in the dark" by officials of the West Indies Player Association over a "memorandum of understanding and combined bargaining agreement," which was signed by WIPA and the WICB, as reported by Gollapudi.
Bravo was subsequently involved in a heated email exchange with Wavell Hinds, who refused to step down from his dual role as the WIPA president and chief executive, as noted in another article by Gollapudi.
Sponsorship payment holds the key to the situation, as Hinds "claimed all the West Indies players had agreed to forego towards enhancing the pay structure of 90 regional first-class cricketers" back in February, per Gollapudi.
It is then suggested that Hinds signed the MoU—which included a pay cut—without Bravo and the team completely understanding the terms on offer.
Although the Indian team, board and fans are right to be disappointed by the actions of their opponents, it seems the situation is destined to affect West Indian cricket for the foreseeable future.
The team's relationship with competitive nations may falter, as it's unlikely any other squad will agree to face the West Indies in this state. Bravo, Hinds and those involved have lots of work to do to repair obvious reputation damage.
With only three of the scheduled five encounters going ahead, India will now look to dismiss the scenario by quickly filling the West Indies' spot. Sri Lanka look to be coming to the rescue and can take advantage of the opportunity to score a challenging win on Indian soil.
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