WICB given new deadline to respond to multi-million dollar claim

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board has been given until next Tuesday to respond to the Indian Cricket Board’s (BCCI) US$42 million compensation claim.
Quoting the contents of an email from the BCCI, the Trinidad Express newspaper reported Friday that Indian authorities could no longer hold off on the claim lodged last month, in relation to the aborted one-day and Test tour of India.
If no response from the WICB was forthcoming by the stated deadline, the BCCI made it clear it would “initiate legal proceedings in the appropriate forum against the WICB without further intimation”.
In its initial communication last year, the BCCI had given the WICB until mid-November last year to indicate how it would settle the claim amount.
However, the subsequent intervention of CARICOM, saw the BCCI accede to the body’s request to delay any further pursuit of the claim for a further 40 days.
With that time period now expired, the BCCI said it would no longer wait.
“The BCCI acquiesced to the same in the hope that an acceptable resolution would be achieved through Caricom’s able mediation,” said the letter, signed by BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel and copied to WICB president Dave Cameron and CARICOM Secretary General Irwin Laroque.
“However, it is with regret that the BCCI finds itself in a position where its expectations have remained wholly unfulfilled with there being no progress in finding a solution that is acceptable to the BCCI despite the 40 days time period having long since expired.
“The BCCI cannot any longer hold off from pursuing its claims. We hope that CARICOM will understand our position.”
WICB communication manager, Imran Khan confirmed receipt of the BCCI’s latest communication but could not elaborate further.
The multi-million dollar claim arose from the abandoned tour of India last October, when the West Indies one-day team walked out of the series after failing to settle a contracts dispute with their union, WIPA.
While the discontent rumbled from the start of the tour, the West Indies players only quit following the fourth ODI in Dharamsala, with an ODI in Kolkata and Twenty20 in Cuttack remaining.
The three-Test tour, scheduled to bowl off October 30, was also scuppered.
A furious BCCI accused the WICB of having “complete disregard” for legal commitments, contending that the cancelled tour had resulted in “adverse financial ramifications”.
Media rights make up the bulk of the losses with the BCCI estimating them at just over $35 million.