BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The region’s premier domestic Twenty20 tournament, the Caribbean Premier League, will face some disruption due to a revised itinerary for the India tour.
India had been scheduled to tour the Caribbean in July and August for a full series of Tests, One-Day Internationals and T20s but Cricket West Indies president, Dave Cameron, said the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had asked for the tour to begin in August instead.
CPL recently announced last month it had reached an agreement with CWI for the tournament to be played in the window from August 21 and September 27.
“Yes it (India tour) will clash with CPL and we hope our loyal fans will understand and appreciate, and our players will also understand,” Cameron said.
“We can’t give up an India tour, you simply can’t give up a match in India. It’s way more than the money we can get from the CPL.”
He explained: “The dates we had originally proposed would have seen them starting a few days after the World Cup – the finals of the World Cup. They (India) have asked to push that back on the basis that they’ll be in the finals and potentially win so that is really the biggest hurdle that we’re having.”
India are one of the favourites to win the showpiece in England which runs from May 30 to July 14.
Cameron said the Supreme Court in India had ruled that India must have a 15-day hiatus between tournaments.
He said, however, CWI was hoping to minimise the disruption to CPL.
“The idea is that we would try and do it (India tour) in such a format that we maybe play the Test matches at the end where you’d have least player disruption,” he noted. Cameron said the ongoing chaos in the BCCI has further complicated discussions over cementing tour dates.
“Right now the organisation is particularly in disarray in India and so there’s really nobody in charge,” the Jamaican pointed out.
“There’s a CEO, two COA members that don’t agree, there’s an acting president, acting secretary, an acting treasurer and so it’s really a challenge in getting decisions out of India.”
The COA – Committee of Administrators – is a four-member panel appointed by the Indian Supreme Court to oversee the affairs of the BCCI, until the governing body undergoes stipulated reforms.