BCCI suspends all bilateral tours to West Indies

The BCCI working committee has decided to suspend all bilateral tours to West Indies, in response to the visitors pulling out of their India tour. India were expected to play five series against West Indies in the next eight years, including four visits to the Caribbean.

While a BCCI release made no specific mention of any claim for damages, the Indian board will also initiate legal proceedings against the West Indies Cricket Board.

The board statement also did not mention any action against West Indies players who participate in the IPL. The players were unlikely to be suspended from participation in the league, with franchises backing them.

The working committee meeting in Hyderabad was convened to discuss the aftermath of West Indies' pullout. The members unanimously felt that strong action needed to be taken against WICB in order to prevent recurrence of such an event.

A working committee member revealed that the BCCI's legal cell said that the bilateral agreement "has been breached" and the BCCI has "every right to claim damages". This, according to him, made the decision easy for the committee. Another member revealed that the claim amount and the jurisdiction will be decided by the legal cell.

It is understood that during the informal discussions during the build-up to the meeting in Hyderabad, some members had suggested that the BCCI suspend ties with WICB for a specific period. However, the committee was convinced that the abrupt manner in which the tour was called off deserved the harshest possible punishment. As an insider revealed "the manner in which the WICB put its hands up" during the whole standoff with its players which led to the cancellation of the tour midway made the BCCI believe that the bilateral ties should be suspended "indefinitely".

"At the moment, it looks unlikely that the bilateral series would resume anytime soon. It will be up to the legal cell now to see if and when a settlement takes place," revealed an insider.