NATION NEWS

Tri-nation series in works
Published on: 8/2/06.

THE WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD (WICB) has indicated they are examining the possibility of playing a tri-nation series of One-Day Internationals with India and Australia, but stated it had not yet signed on for the tournament.

In a media statement, the WICB said they were examining the matter with the West Indies Players' Association and would make a decision soon on the series, which is slated for Singapore and Malaysia this September.

The WICB said it had received the proposal for the tournament on July 29 and were currently in discussions with the board of Control for Cricket in India over the terms of the offer. Further, the WICB said they were in the process of putting the proposal to the players.

"We have been invited by BCCI to make ourselves available for a triangular series in September involving India, Australia and West Indies," the WICB release said.

"We are seeking to discuss this proposed series with the players, and a team headed by Mr Deryck Murray will be meeting with the players representative. No final decision has been made on the participation of the board in this series."

The series was originally slated to be played between West Indies and India for September in the United States and Canada. However, the venues in the United States were deemed inadequate and the Canadian Cricket Association said they could not accommodate the games.

"At that time, we were hoping to play One-Day Internationals in United States and Canada subject to the availability of approved venues.

"It is only when those efforts on the part of North America failed in the last two weeks that BCCI has been making subsequent efforts to arrange a series in the Far East," the WICB's statement said.

The WICB also stressed that the current proposal had come out of the bilateral agreement signed between India and the West Indies, with a move of increasing co-operation between the two entities.

"It must be emphasised that this is the culmination of efforts going back to June 2006 when the BCCI and WICB signed an agreement to co-operate with each other in the development of cricket in North America," the release added. (PS)