India may not play West Indies in a bilateral cricket series for the next five years in retaliation to the West Indies team deciding to pull out of the ongoing tour after the fourth ODI in Dharamsala Friday, following a contract dispute between the players and their board.
The West Indians were originally scheduled to play five ODIs, a T20 and three Tests during their 48-day tour ending November 19. Confirming that the tour was over, the BCCI said that it has roped in Sri Lanka to fill the void with a five-ODI bilateral series from November 1 to 15. It is understood that the England board has also indicated its willingness to sends its team on a short tour.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), meanwhile, denied that it had any role to play in the pullout, saying that it ?has taken no decision to discontinue the ongoing tour to India.? But BCCI secretary Sanjay Patil made it clear that the team had threatened to pull out earlier too, on October 7 before the first ODI in Kochi, and added that the WICB had made it clear then that in the event of any further threat by the players the tour would have to be ?called off?.