West Indies Agree to Play 1st ODI vs India After Mulling Boycott Over Wages
West Indies players did not train ahead of the first ODI in Kochi. Skipper Dwayne Bravo also did not attend the trophy unveiling ceremony with India captain MS Dhoni.
© AFP
West Indies players have agreed to play the first ODI against India in Kochi on Wednesday after mulling a strike over a new pay structure. The match in Kochi is the first of five ODIs and a T20 followed by three Tests.
As a mark of protest, West Indies players skipped the scheduled training session on Tuesday and skipper Dwayne Bravo did not attend the customary trophy unveiling ceremony. Bravo also skipped the pre-match media conference. (Also Read: India Won't be Scared of Windies as Narine Mystery Looms)
The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had signed a new agreement in September covering pay and conditions but Bravo said players were kept in the dark about the talks and would not accept the outcome.
"We believe we are being hoodwinked and are being treated like little school boys, yet we are being asked to perform and play as professionals," Bravo wrote in a letter to WIPA president Wavell Hinds published by the Caribbean website Wired868.com on Tuesday.
"The players are of the view that as a matter of principle, we should not accept these conditions whereby we are being asked to play a series against India without any certainty of what are our obligations and what we will be playing for."
"We wish to make it very clear that should the players be forced to take matters into their our own hands, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate action as see fit. We will hold you and the WIPA Board who support this process liable."
Fearing the worst, the West Indies Board has already apologised to the Indian fans and the BCCI.
"The WICB apologises to the fans, the BCCI and all other stakeholders should the first ODI be disrupted as a result of player action. The WICB is making every effort to ensure that it fulfills all its commitments and that cricket is played," read the statement.
West Indies players last boycotted a series in 2009 when they refused to play a home series against Bangladesh due to a previous contract dispute.
(With inputs from Reuters)