BCCI advises late arrival of India A

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday advised the West Indies Cricket Board that the India A-Team, scheduled to participate in the Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series, would not be arriving in the Caribbean until Wednesday, February 5.

In apologising for the team's late arrival, Kunal Ghosh, assistant to BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya told the WICB: "We are extremely sorry for both the late notification and the potential disruption to the start of the competition.

"We should have communicated with your board sooner, but we have been very much pre-occupied with matters surrounding our senior team's participation in the Cricket World Cup 2003. We now expect the team to arrive in the Caribbean on February 5 in time for the scheduled match against Barbados."

The WICB had received written confirmation of the India A-Team's participation in the competition from as early as August 3 last year, and had sent detailed competition fixtures and terms of the team's participation to the BCCI on November 21 last year.

Several unanswered follow-up correspondences were sent to BCCI Honorary Secretary S.K. Nair by the WICB, in addition to numerous unsuccessful attempts to make contact by telephone.

"It was only this morning that we were able to get a hold of Mr. Ghosh," remarked Michael Hall, the WICB's Chief Cricket Operations Officer.

"We are disappointed with, but understanding of, the BCCI's position, and will be working to ensure that the remainder of the competition takes place as planned. Naturally, we have an obligation to our sponsors, Carib Beer to play the full competition schedule, and we will be working to ensure that this missed match is made up in a manner that is in the best interest of both parties.

"The West Indies B-Team is currently in Barbados preparing for their scheduled match with India-A this weekend and the WICB will work with the Barbados Cricket Association to ensure that the team is able to play a practice match against the strongest possible opposition."

The Carib Beer 2003 Cricket Series opens on Friday with the three other scheduled matches: Leeward Islands v Jamaica at Webster Park in Anguilla, Trinidad & Tobago v Guyana at Guaracara Park in Trinidad, and Windward Islands v Barbados at Arnos Vale in St. Vincent.