Chairman of West Indies selectors Sir Clive Lloyd has apologised to the people of India for the West Indies team pulling out of their current series against the home team.On Friday, the West Indies team led by Dwayne Bravo played the fourth match of the Micromax limited overs series against India and then promptly announced that they were not going to play the final match of the ODI series, as well as the lone T20 and the three Test matches.
The team decided to pull out of the tour after they were unhappy with their new payment structure signed off by the head of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), Wavell Hinds. The move has left many in India angry and the former West Indies captain tried to do damage control at a function organised by India Today, that brought together captains of seven World Cup winning teams. Lloyd speaking at the function said, "I want to apologise to the people of India for our team pulling out of the current series. It is unfortunate and in my opinion wrong and I want to unreservedly apologise to India.
"We have enjoyed such great relations in the past and I do hope that this move by some of our cricketers don't spoil what we have worked hard and long to achieve in the past. The cricketers of India and the West Indies always shared a close relationship, so did the boards and also the fans. I hope that this action by some will not sully that and we can continue being the close friends we have been ever since."
A visibly emotional Lloyd told the T&T Guardian after the function that he really hoped that some damage control can take place at this point in time because relations between the two boards are so important."Only if you know of the close ties between the two nations, then and only then you would realise the potential damage this can cause."
T&T Guardian understands that Lloyd met with the West Indies players the night before they decided to call off the tour and gave them his perspective about the long standing relationship between the West Indies and India.Without getting into the battle between the players and the board, the man who changed the face of West Indies cricket decades ago said he was interested with keeping the good relations for the betterment of all concerned, including the players who play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).