Abandoned India tour on agenda in WICB, CARICOM meeting

Last year’s series was abandoned

St. John's (Antigua), April 18 (IANS) Last year's controversial abandoned tour of India will be on the agenda when the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) meets with the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Committee on Cricket Governance next Monday in Grenada.

WICB president Dave Cameron, along with all 18 directors of the board, will sit down with four regional prime ministers including CARICOM chairman Perry Christie of the Bahamas to discuss the state of the game, reports CMC.

The abandoned tour of India last October is one of three items up for discussion with the reform and governance of West Indies cricket and the relationship between the CARICOM Committee on Cricket Governance and WICB.

"This will be a big opportunity for us to fortify our relationship with CARICOM," said WICB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Muirhead, who along with WICB vice-president Emmanuel Nanthan and corporate secretary Verlyn Faustin, will participate in the meeting.

"We believe that the governments of the Caribbean are among the group of key stakeholders in West Indies cricket. We want to engage them on some of the critical matters relating to the advancement of the sport in the region."

Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell will chair the meeting with Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne and St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves expected to be in attendance.

The meeting will bring Cameron face to face with the outspoken Gonsalves, who criticised the WICB chief in the wake of the abandoned tour.

Gonsalves, who played a critical role in mediating the subsequent impasse between the board, the aggrieved players and players union WIPA, described Cameron's leadership as "poor" and "embarrassing" in his handling of the controversy. The long-standing Vincentian leader also called for Cameron to resign or be fired by regional boards.

Cameron was re-elected for another term last month.