The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Holding sees hard times for Windies

Tue, Apr 7, '15

 

Windies v England

MICHAEL HOLDING has written off West Indies’ hopes in the Test series against England as cricket in the Caribbean enters one of its most critical stages off the field. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is likely to discover in the coming months whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will pursue a £28 million compensation claim for their abandoned tour last October.
With reports the BCCI is also weighing up whether to pull out of their scheduled tour of the Caribbean next year the WICB – which last month announced a £1 million loss for the previous 12 months – faces the prospect of two major financial blows that could result in bankruptcy.
The predicament is a culmination of a dysfunctional relationship between the board and players, who initiated the embarrassing India tour walk-out following a protracted payment dispute also involving the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).
The fall-out has now not only left the WICB waiting nervously under the BCCI’s legal high ground, but also without most of their star names for the three Tests against England.