By COLIN BENJAMIN Friday, November 13 2015
www.newsday.co.tt
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated its not yet committed to touring the West Indies next year for the Future Tours Programme (FTP) scheduled four-Test series. They have also expressed no interest in the WICB proposal of touring India next year for five One-Day Internationals.
Speaking at the BCCI Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday that the entire cricket globe was focused on given India’s important role in world cricket under new president Shahank Manohar, officials from the board were making their first public comments about the WICB since suspending bilateral tours with West Indies following their team’s pullout midway through the India tour last October. The BCCI had later issued well publicised punitive damages of US$41.7 million.
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, in AGM transcripts and recordings seen and heard by Newsday, acknowledged meeting WICB president Dave Cameron and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Muirhead on October 17 at the board headquarters in Mumbai, India.
But unlike the trend of continued optimism over a positive resolution that the WICB has repeatedly made in the last year, Thakur’s comments poured cold water on any immediate signs of a resolution from an Indian perspective.
“Still plenty of time to go and play in West Indies. We’ll decide at the appropriate time†said Thakur.
He continued, “They have met us recently — the CEO and the chairman (president) of West Indies Board — and they have given their viewpoint. We will take a call in the time coming. There is no final decision yet on that.†With CARICOM making its strong case for the dissolution of the WICB, this now known official position from the BCCI will add further pressure to the board since India not touring West Indies next year will be catastrophic to the finances of the WICB, whose predicted 100 percent increase in revenue streams from the ICC Big Three takeover, is solely dependent on playing series versus India, alongside England and Australia more often in the current 2014-2019 FTP cycle.
