WICB denies cancelling India tour

ST JOHN’S, Antigua,CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board has rejected reports it has cancelled the West Indies ongoing tour of India.

It emerged early yesterday that the West Indies would quit the tour following the fourth One-Day International. The Indian Cricket Board subsequently said in a release it had been informed by the WICB of the decision to “cancel the rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players”.

“The West Indies Cricket Board advises that contrary to media reports, it has taken no decision to discontinue the ongoing tour to India,” the WICB said in a terse statement.

“The WICB will make a further statement following the conclusion of the fourth One-Day International which is in progress.”

The Windies players in India have been at loggerheads with their union, WIPA, over terms of the recently signed Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding, which they claim results in a substantial reduction in their earnings.

Following heated exchanges – made public by leaked emails – between WIPA and the players, the team said last week it no longer recognized WIPA as their bargaining agent and requested the intervention of the WICB.