West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo speaks to commentator Ian Bishop as teammates and Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni listen, in Dharamsala, on Friday. Picture courtesy: BCCI

Calcutta/ Dharamsala: The West Indies’ tour of India has been called off suddenly due to the ongoing payment structure dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and its players’ association.

So, the fourth ODI in Dharamsala was their last game of the series. The West Indies were scheduled to play one more ODI in Calcutta on Monday and a Twenty20 International in Cuttack on October 22.

They were also scheduled to play three Test matches in Hyderabad (October 30-November 3), Bangalore (November 7-11) and Ahmedabad (November 15-19).

Hours after the sudden development, the BCCI managed to persuade Sri Lanka to play a five-match ODI series, which is likely to be held from November 1 to 15. A top BCCI official said that it was decided to play only the ODIs, keeping in mind the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

A press release from the BCCI said it was, “shocked and disappointed” and that the decision to abandon the tour had been “taken by the WICB.”

“The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has informed the BCCI of its decision to cancel the rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players, and has advised the BCCI that its players will return home immediately, the Board said.

“The BCCI is shocked and extremely disappointed at the decision taken by the WICB. The WICB’s inability to resolve internal issues with its players and allowing the same to affect an ongoing bilateral series does not reflect well on any of those involved. The withdrawal gives little thought to the future of the game, the players and the long standing relations between the BCCI and the WICB.

“The BCCI wishes to inform all its stakeholders, especially ardent fans of the Indian cricket team, that this is a unilateral decision taken by the WICB and its players, in spite of several appeals to the WICB to honour its commitment and complete the series.

“The BCCI will pursue all options available to protect its rights, whilst seeking appropriate action from the ICC to ensure that its interests and those of the game at large will not suffer any damage due to such acts of indiscretion.

Before the game, Dwayne Bravo, the ODI captain, had indicated something serious was brewing when he told Ian Bishop, the television commentator, at the toss, unprompted: “Time to make a decision.” Bravo was accompanied by the entire West Indies team in the background.

The root cause behind the divide between the West Indies players and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) had been the memorandum of understanding (MoU) and the combined bargaining agreement signed between WIPA and WICB in September.

Bravo, acting as the players’ representative, had claimed that WIPA president and CEO Wavell Hinds had kept the players in the dark over the MoU, which he signed without their consent. The new contracts would see Caribbean players’ pay go down by approximately 75 per cent. The contracts were given to the players after they reached India.

On the eve of the first ODI in Kochi, Bravo had warned that if Hinds did not cooperate and respond to the questions raised by the players, a strike or a pull-out from the Indian tour could not be ruled out. Though Hinds responded eventually, Bravo has continued to insist that Hinds should step down as CEO and president, and even asked the WICB to not communicate with WIPA till a solution was found.

However, WICB president Dave Cameron sent an e-mail letter to Bravo saying the Board would only engage with WIPA, adhering to the MoU signed in September.

“The players will not accept any agreement it has had no input in, did not give its consent to and which would infringe on its rights. We reserve all of our rights and intend to seek independent advice so as to establish the players best course of action,” the letter had said.

The repercussion of the Caribbean players’ move to abandon the tour could have long term implications as many of the them play in the IPL. This is not first time that the players are locked in a pay dispute with the WICB. The players have threatened to go on strike in those instances as well but have ultimately come around after hectic negotiations.