BCCI gives WICB until today to pay $42M

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has until today to comply with the multi-million dollar claim issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), over the abandoned tour of India last year — or will find itself on the receiving end of legal proceedings.

In a letter from Sanjay Patel, honorary secretary at the BCCI,{{more}} to the CARICOM Secretary General Irwin Laroque (dated January 20, 2015), it stated that despite the time that has elapsed since the event, no solution has been reached and the BCCI cannot hold off any further on pursuing its claims against the WICB.

The letter stated: “It is with regret that the BCCI finds itself in a position where its expectations have remained wholly unfulfilled, with there being no progress in finding a solution that is acceptable to the BCCI, despite the 40-day time period having long since elapsed.”

Patel further stipulated that should the WICB fail to comply with the requisitions by today, Tuesday, January 27, the BCCI will initiate legal proceedings in the Courts in India.

Last October, the West Indies cricket team walked out on the one-day tour of India, following the fourth ODI in Dharamsala, India. This subsequently led to the cancellation of the remaining one-day match (one-off Twenty/20 International) and the scheduled three-Test tour.

The West Indies players walked out after failing to settle a contract dispute with their union West Indies Players’ Association.

The BCCI had initially demanded compensation from the WICB of approximately US$42 million. However, after intervention by CARICOM, the BCCI agreed to hold off on its claims for a period of 40 days “in the hope that an acceptable resolution would be achieved.”

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who has played a central role in trying to resolve the situation, recently criticized the leadership of WICB president Dave Cameron, saying that the Jamaican executive needs to be fired, or should resign over the debacle (see accompanying story).

In an interview with The Nation newspaper, Gonsalves said: “I think his leadership in this regard has been extremely poor and has embarassed us before the world.”

His comments come shortly ahead of the WICB’s annual general meeting on March 7, where Cameron will be up for re-election.

“He should withdraw himself from any consideration for any leadership or from his term,” Gonsalves asserted. “It doesn’t mean that the players were not to have shown greater restraint in the interest of the region… but you can’t send people there without a contract and then your attitude to them was that you aren’t talking to them.”