BCCI suspend tours to West Indies

The Board of Control for Cricket in India have suspended bilateral tours to the West Indies in retaliation to the recent abandonment of a key limited-overs and Test series.

The BCCI, too, will likely claim financial damages from the West Indies Cricket Board immediately. A payment structure dispute between the WICB and West Indies Players Association saw the series abruptly cut short last week.

Friday’s fourth ODI at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharmasala was the last of a tour that was scheduled to feature six limited-overs fixtures and three Tests.

The main cause of the impasse between the WICB and WIPA is the memorandum of understanding and the combined bargaining agreement signed in September. Player representative and captain Dwayne Bravo had claimed WIPA president and CEO Wavell Hinds had signed the financial document without the contracted squad’s consent.

“We will initiate legal proceedings against West Indies Cricket Board due to the abrupt cancellation of the tour,” tweeted the BCCI on Tuesday.

The BCCI, whose financial losses due to the Windies’ cancellation might exceed Rs 400 crore (about US$65 million), have since sought and found Sri Lanka as replacement opposition, for five ODIs from 1 November.

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