Lloyd hopes ‘damage is not irreparable’

West Indies Cricket Board member Clive Lloyd has offered profuse apologies to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, after this month’s series was abandoned.

A payment structure dispute between the WICB and West Indies Players Association has seen the series abruptly cut short.

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.

”I apologise on behalf of West Indies cricket. We have great affinity towards India and their players. Some of the guys decided to stop the tour and I think it is a mistake,” The Times of India quoted Lloyd as saying.

”We should not have allowed few players to do that. India have treated us royally and I have felt it. It is unfortunate that we left and I hope the damage is not irreparable.”

The BCCI have since sought and found Sri Lanka as replacement opposition, for five ODIs from 1 November.