(WICB) Michael Muirhead said the organisation has exhausted all its options

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Michael Muirhead said the organisation has exhausted all its options in trying to find opponents to aid the senior team’s efforts to qualify for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England.

Teams have until September 30 of this year to qualify for the prestigious tournament.

“It is 95 percent sure. We tried with England but there is no slot to play them and we have just exhausted all of our options in terms of trying to get any opportunity before September 30 to put a tour in place,” he said.

“Results count for everything because there are times w hen we will move in the rankings without playing a game but it all depends; it’s relative to the other nine teams so it happens that we have to save ourselves,” he added.

Pakistan and Zimbabwe recently pulled out of a planned tri-series with the West Indies, leaving the regional team ranked outside the top eight which is one of the requirements to compete in the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan are currently above West Indies on the ICC ODI rankings in eighth place and victory in the Tri-series could have potentially given the Caribbean side a boost.

Muirhead said efforts were made to tie up a series with India as well but added that had the team performed during previous tours, the current issue could have been avoided.

“I had preliminary discussions with them (India) on that; however they said they had plans for that slot we had identified and it was a non-starter almost.
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