In an unprecedented move, West Indies have pulled out of the India tour due to the ongoing payment structure dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and its players association.
The fourth ODI in Dharamsala will be their last game of the series, which was scheduled to have a fifth ODI, a Twenty20 international as well as three Tests.
“The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has informed the BCCI of its decision to cancel the rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players, and has advised the BCCI that its players will return home immediately,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said.
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The BCCI is shocked and extremely disappointed at the decision taken by the WICB. “The WICB’s inability to resolve internal issues with its players and allowing the same to affect an ongoing bilateral series does not reflect well on any of those involved. The withdrawal had given little thought to the future of the game, the players and the long standing relations between the BCCI and WICB.” a strongly-worded statement from the BCCI said.
It is learnt that the root cause behind the divide between the West Indies players and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) had been the memorandum of understanding and the combined bargaining agreement signed between WIPA and WICB in September. Bravo, acting as the player representative, had claimed that WIPA president and CEO Wavell Hinds had kept the players in the dark over the MoU, which he signed without their consent.
Meanwhile BCCI has invited Sri Lanka to play a bilateral series, and the latter has responded positively. “In principle we have agreed to accept India’s invitation to play five one-day internationals,” Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga confirmed today.
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