The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has thanked the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India for the latter's "pro-active role" in the ongoing pay row between the West Indies' cricketers and the WICB.
BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said on Thursday that the board will be happy to help their Caribbean counterpart as a "mediator" at the end of the current series.
"I got an e-mail from WICB chairman Dave Cameron, who thanked BCCI for playing a pro-active role," Patel said. "Our job was to ensure that the series is run smoothly. This series of three Tests, five ODIs and a T20 International was chalked during the FTP calendar of 2007-08.
"Futures Tour Programme (FTP) is sacrosanct and all the member nations must abide by it. You cannot disrespect what was decided in FTP calendar. I told them that there isn't a problem that can't be sorted out across the table. If WICB wants, we can mediate once the series ends. These players are good boys and they know their duty," said Patel.
dna had reported on Thursday that there was no threat to the current series despite the visiting cricketers being unhappy with their contracts. "It was an internal matter involving the West Indies players and their board and that have to honour the tour," a BCCI official had said.
On Thursday, Patel reiterated the same. "I want to clarify that there is no threat to the India versus West Indies series. The matches will go on as per schedule. In fact, I have spoken to a few officials from the WICB and have got assurance that there will be no disruption," Patel said.
Patel categorically denied BCCI having made any payment to the West Indies players or WICB prior to the first ODI in Kochi on Wednesday so that the match was not disrupted.
"There is absolutely no truth to these rumours. The BCCI has not made any such payments, nor do we have any plans of indulging into any such financial transactions in principle. This is their internal matter. As a cricket board, we can obviously offer our advice on what can be the correct path to solve the problem but that's about it," the BCCI secretary said.
However, the WICB will be paid by BCCI a "guarantee money" but that is a mandatory payment that has to be made to a visiting nation as per ICC guidelines.
According to agreement between two Test-playing nations during bilateral series, the visiting team gets a 'Guarantee Money' – amount of which is negotiable between the two competing countries. "Obviously, there is a guarantee money and BCCI will pay that to the WICB as per the guidelines. But that is a mandatory payment. But we are certainly not giving any loans or making any advance payment," said Patel.
It is learnt that couple of top WICB officials will be reaching Delhi to carry on the discussions with the aggrieved cricketers before the second ODI at Ferozeshah Kotla scheduled on Saturday.
—With inputs from PTI
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