The India vs West Indies series will be cut short prematurely, with the visitors deciding to pull out of the tour at the end of the 4th one-day international in Dharamsala.
Strange pictures met everyone during the toss as the entire West Indies camp stood behind Dwayne Bravo at the toss this afternoon in a sign of support.
It almost looked like the team would announce their decision not to play at the toss, but the match, thankfully went ahead.
However, now, it has been confirmed that West Indies will play their last match of the India tour on Friday, before flying out to the Caribbean to try and sort out the pay dispute with the West Indies Players' Association and West Indies Cricket Board.
The dispute over a new memorandum of understanding signed between the WIPA and WICB had threatened to end the tour even before it started with the first ODI in Kochi, but the match went on after the BCCI intervened.
However, now it looks like even the BCCI have not been able to convince the WI players to stay, with the 4th ODI set to be the final match of this always-felt-like-it-was-a-forced-one-anyway tour.
The BCCI, clearly not amused by the decision of the West Indies players put out a strongly worded statement.
"The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has informed the BCCI of its decision to cancel the rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players, and has advised the BCCI that its players will return home immediately," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in the statement.
"The BCCI is shocked and extremely disappointed at the decision taken by the WICB. The WICB's inability to resolve internal issues with its players and allowing the same to affect an ongoing bilateral series does not reflect well on any of those involved.
"The withdrawal gives little thought to the future of the game, the players and the long standing relations between the BCCI and the WICB.
"The BCCI wishes to inform all its stakeholders, especially ardent fans of the Indian cricket team, that this is a unilateral decision taken by the WICB and its players, in spite of several appeals to the WICB to honour its commitment and complete the series.
"The BCCI will pursue all options available to protect its rights, whilst seeking appropriate action from the ICC to ensure that its interests and those of the game at large will not suffer any damage due to such acts of indiscretion."
India and the West Indies were slated to play five one-day internationals, a T20I and three Test matches. However, India's only scheduled home series this year, will now end with just three ODIs being played, after the 3rd one-dayer was cancelled due to Cyclone Hudhud.
The BCCI immediately started to look at the possibility of bringing in another team to fill in for the West Indies, with the board later confirming Sri Lanka to be that team.
Update:
There was another twist to the tale as WICB insisted that no decision on a pull out had been taken.
"The West Indies Cricket Board advises, that, contrary to media reports, it has taken no decision to discontinue the ongoing tour to India," the WICS said in a statement. "The WICB will make a further statement following the conclusion of the Fourth one-day international which is in progress."
The statement is clearly a reaction to the BCCI threatening to sue the WICB for the early pull out.
"The reason given by WICB is that there were internal issues among their boys," Patel told PTI. "The BCCI will be going to ICC and is planning to sue the WICB and claim for damages.
"We will not take this lying down as we have cooperated with them in every aspect."
The WICB late on Friday (Caribbean time) and early Saturday (IST) confirmed they were left with no choice but to withdraw from the tour after the players intimated their intentions. The WICB was open to sending a 'B' team to India for the rest of the tour, but the BCCI shot that option down.
"The WICB clarifies that players in the West Indies Squad currently in India represented by Mr. Dwayne Bravo indicated to the WICB through the West Indies Team Management that the players have taken a decision to withdraw their services for the remainder of the tour of India," the statement read.
"As a result of this action by the players the WICB was left with no option but to advise the BCCI that it will no longer be able to provide a West Indies team for the remaining five matches (5th ODI, T20 International, three Test matches).
"The WICB wishes to further clarify that its proposed alternative arrangement of a replacement West Indies team was not considered acceptable. The WICB is understanding of this position."
