West Indies cricket tour India discontinued! / India sends $74M damages bill
From ESPNcricketinfo
‘We were left with no option’ – WICB
The WICB has said it was left with no option but to “discontinue” the tour of India after the players had informed the board through the team management that they would be returning back to the Caribbean.
“The WICB clarifies that players in the West Indies Squad currently in India represented by Mr. Dwayne Bravo indicated to the WICB through the West Indies Team Management that the players have taken a decision to withdraw their services for the remainder of the tour of India,” the release said. “As a result of this action by the players the WICB was left with no option but to advise the BCCI that it will no longer be able to provide a West Indies team for the remaining five matches (5th ODI, T20 International, three Test matches).”
The WICB directors have called for an emergency board meeting on October 21 in Barbados to decide all the “ramifications” arising of the players pullout and take any actions if necessary. The WICB did not rule out penalising players but such actions would be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.
After the players’ decision had become public as soon as the fourth ODI in Dharamsala had started, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel issued a bluntly-worded media release, holding the WICB responsible for what he called as an “abrupt” termination of the tour. Patel pointed out that the WICB’s inability to resolve the growing differences between players and West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over the payment dispute lead to such a crisis.
Although it had issued a short release earlier in the day stating the WICB did not play any role in the tour being called off, the board issued a ten-point media release late Friday afternoon Caribbean time after an emergency teleconference of its directors. In it the WICB pointed the fingers back at Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies ODI captain, and his players for the “premature” end to the tour.
The WICB said it did think of sending a replacement West Indies team, but that was “not considered acceptable” to the BCCI. “The WICB is understanding of this position,” the release said. The WICB took the opportunity to “unreservedly” apologise to the BCCI, the sponsors and the fans both in Caribbean and India.
But the BCCI was completely unapologetic as it bared its angst in a second media release, issued late Friday evening India time. The release was once again signed by Patel, where he listed a timeline of the events about the WICB president Dave Cameron’s communications with BCCI. Cameron’s various unfulfilled promises about providing an assurance that the dispute would have no repercussion on the India tour, Patel said, “makes it clear all along that the WICB was withdrawing its team if a resolution was not reached in the issue with the players.”
But the WICB defended its position. “The WICB clarifies further that as a result of postulations by the players, the tour was under a cloud of uncertainty from the inception. The WICB, acting prudently, advised the host board – BCCI – of the developments and remained in constant contact to provide updates as to the threat of possible player action.”
The WICB also revealed a delegation lead by its CEO Michael Muirhead along with Julian Charles (the cricket committee chairman) and WIPA president and CEO Wavell Hinds was supposed to be in India on October 20 to negotiate with the players. “The WICB regrets that the delegation which was pre-scheduled to travel to India to meet with the players on a number of issues will no longer be able to conduct such meeting at which the intention was also to discuss the concerns of the players.
“This meeting was scheduled prior to any issues being raised with the new MOU/CBA and it was intended to acquaint all the parties of how it would roll out. This was necessary as the WICB did not have an opportunity to so do in the Caribbean due to the logistical challenges of assembling all the players prior to departure for the tour of India (some of the players were already in India participating in the Champions League). The WICB CEO, Mr. Muirhead and WIPA President/CEO Mr. Hinds had been in negotiations with regard to finding a mutually agreeable position to allow for the full tour to be completed.”
‘Must fulfil commitments to FTP’ – ICC ExCo chairman
Wally Edwards, the chairman of ICC ExCo, on West Indies pulling out of the India tour:
“The situation that has just unfolded, with the West Indian players abandoning the remainder of the Indian tour, is deeply concerning for a game that needs strong cooperation for its survival,” Edwards said. “We are a long way from what has taken place in India and have sought further details so we can understand more as a priority.
“Put simply, players and Boards must fulfil their commitments to the ICC Future Tours Programme.
“Situations such as these have to be avoided at all costs because ultimately those that are affected most are the people that the game depends on so heavily – cricket lovers, key broadcasters and commercial partners.
“For the game’s sake this needs to be resolved as soon as possible.”
For more on this story go to: http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-west-indies-2014-15/content/story/790195.html
IMAGE: Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo in conversation during practice.
Related story:
West Indies’ future looks grim after Indian board hits them with $74 million damages bill
By Chris Barrett From Sydney Morning Herald
Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards has described as “deeply concerning” the crisis that led to the West Indies quitting their tour of India over a pay row with their board, resulting in fears about their participation in this summer’s World Cup and their future as a Test-playing nation.
With the Board of Control for Cricket in India reportedly preparing to claim damages of at least $US65 million ($74 million) over lost earnings from the abandoned tour – and forecasting the cancellation of India’s series in the Caribbean in 2016 – the former powerhouse of world cricket could be dealt a fatal financial blow. And while the sad decline of the West Indies has reached a new low, there are implications for Australia, who are due to tour there next autumn before an Ashes series in England. Australia are then scheduled to host the eighth-ranked Test nation for a Test and limited-overs series in the summer of 2015-16.
Before that there is also the issue of the World Cup, being staged in Australia and New Zealand in February and March.
Edwards, who chairs the International Cricket Council’s influential executive committee, of which Australia, India and England are permanent members, said on Sunday CA had sought more information on the West Indies’ predicament but indicated alarm at the developments on the subcontinent.
“The situation that has just unfolded, with the West Indian players abandoning the remainder of the Indian tour, is deeply concerning for a game that needs strong co-operation for its survival,” Edwards said. “We are a long way from what has taken place in India and have sought further details so we can understand more as a priority.”
West Indies were to play five one-day internationals, a Twenty20 international and three Tests against India but withdrew after the fourth ODI in Dharmasala.
Sri Lanka have agreed to step in and play five ODIs in India next month but the BCCI is, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo, considering legal avenues to recoup lost broadcast rights and sponsorship revenue of tens of millions of dollars.
While that could bring them to their knees, the West Indies Cricket Board bizarrely used Twitter on Sunday to re-advertise its vacant head coaching position.
Former Australia coach Mickey Arthur was until recently linked to the post but a fortnight after the West Indies announced a “global search” for a new mentor, it is shaping as one of the least desirable jobs in world cricket.
The West Indies, like other Test nations, rely heavily on Indian television money, so on top of any legal action will be hit hard if India go ahead with an intention to snub their next scheduled tour of the West Indies in 2016.
“It will be very difficult to play West Indies in bilateral series in future,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told Reuters. “They have to demonstrate the willingness that such situations never happen again. I would say that India’s next tour of West Indies is highly unlikely to go ahead in the current situation.
“Whatever the dispute, they should have honoured the bilateral agreement. We have suffered huge losses and the ICC is our parent body and we are going to ask them to ensure that this never happens in the future.”
As the ICC scrambles for a solution and the WICB ready for an emergency board meeting on Tuesday, Edwards said the dispute needed to be sorted out urgently. “Put simply, players and boards must fulfil their commitments to the Future Tours Programme,” Edwards said.”Situations such as these have to be avoided at all costs because ultimately those that are affected most are the people that the game depends on so heavily – cricket lovers, key broadcasters and commercial partners. For the game’s sake, this needs to be resolved as soon as possible.”
While the West Indies’ immediate future is unclear, their women’s team this week begin a month-long tour of Australia featuring four T20s and four ODIs against the Southern Stars.
IMAGES:
Shaky future: West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul goes for a sweep against Bangladesh in September. Photo: AFP
Glory days: West Indies captain Clive Lloyd dives for a catch in 1979. Photo: Michael Rayner
For more on this story go to: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/west-indies-future-looks-grim-after-indian-board-hits-them-with-74-million-damages-bill-20141019-118b90.html
