WI vs IND: BCCI brass wants WICB view on governance before tour approval

PTI

New Delhi: The BCCI wants to discuss the proposed ICC governance model with the WICB before giving the Indian cricket team its nod to tour the West Indies later this summer.

After the Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom ends on June 18, the Indian team is scheduled to travel to the Caribbean islands in the last week of June for five ODIs and a T20 International.

Even last time in 2013, India, after winning the Champions Trophy, went to the West Indies for a tri-nation series.

This time around, a section within the BCCI wants that joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary speaks to WICB chief David Cameron with regards to India's objections on the proposed changes in ICC governance model.

There is a feeling in the BCCI that the West Indies Cricket Board has had it easy since its national team pulled out of the 2014 series in India midway after a payment dispute.

"We let the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) go scot-free back in 2014 after they pulled out midway. We claimed damages of USD 42 million (approximately) but that was also waived by Shashank Manohar after he became the BCCI president for the second time. Now they have also voted against us at ICC Board. We need to look at these aspects," a senior BCCI official told PTI today on the condition of anonymity.

While they know that any pullout will need direct approval from the Committee of Administrators (COA), some top officials want Vinod Rai to know that the WICB has taken BCCI for a ride.

"There has to be some discussions with Cameron and WICB as to what their viewpoint is on governance. In any case, it's the WICB which gains if we go. Before the ICC Annual Conference, it would be great if Amitabh speaks to their cricket board," a added.

The ICC normally does not have a say on bilateral series as it is a bi-partite agreement between the two cricket boards.

In 2014, WICB violated the agreement and the cash- strapped board was in no position to pay the multi-million dollar damages claimed by the BCCI.

In 2016, India toured the West Indies for a four-Test series, which Virat Kohli's boys won 2-0.