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BCCI Working Committee meets tomorrow to discuss WI pullout

Board to decide on whether to impose a freeze on future West Indies tour and claim damages.

BCCI is also likely to review participation of West Indies players in IPL © Getty Images
BCCI is likely to discuss about suing the WICB for damages incurred due to the pull-out © Getty Images

Hyderabad: Oct 20, 2014

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) all-powerful Working Committee will meet on Tuesday to decide on whether to impose a freeze on future West Indies tour and claim damages in the wake of the unprecedented move by the Caribbean team to pull out of the remainder of India tour because of the pay dispute with the Board.

Before the Working Committee assembles, the governing council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will have a meeting where the issue of West Indies players’ participation in future editions of the cash-rich league could also come up for discussion. The Working Committee will debate on the exact course of action and the amount of compensation to be claimed from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for abandoning the tour of India mid-way.

The aggrieved Caribbean players, who were persuaded to take the field for the fourth One-Day International (ODI) in Dharamsala on October 17, conveyed their decision to call off the remaining part of tour to the BCCI. Some top Board members are of the view that a stern message should be sent to WICB for aborting the tour and creating a huge problem for the BCCI.

These BCCI officials not only want a ban on future series against the West Indies but also a bar on the participation of the Caribbean players in the IPL. However, that is not a view shared by a majority of the members who feel that the players are not fault and should not be punished.

“We have suffered huge losses due to the decision of the West Indies to pull out of the tour. We are going to claim all the damages and pursue the matter with ICC,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel had said.

“The working committee members will have dialogue on this and after that we may consider to not pursue further Future Tour Programmes (FTP) with the West Indies,” Patel had said.

Hours after the West Indies pulled out of the tour, the BCCI approached the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and quickly cobbled up a five-match ODI series to be played from November 1 to 14.

The West Indies players were adamant to withdraw their service since they were unhappy with the new contracts, offered to them after landing in India. As per the new contracts, agreed between the WICB and the Players Association (WIPA), the cricketers reportedly suffered a 75 per cent cut in their salaries.

Complete coverage on the cancellation of West Indies tour of India 2014

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