PTI
Port-Of-Spain (Trinidad), May 13: In the midst of concerns about player burnout, BCCI and the West Indies Cricket Board have decided to play an unscheduled one-day international series in the United States and Canada later this year.
The series would be organised almost immediately after India complete a five-match ODI and a four-Test tour of the Caribbean in early July and would be outside the Future Tours Programme unveiled by the ICC earlier this week.
Since India are to tour Sri Lanka in the first half of August, this series, comprising three to five matches, is more likely to be held in September.
September was otherwise a month when the Indian team had no international engagements.
The matches would form a part of a bilateral agreement reached between the two Boards at the recent ICC meeting in Dubai, a West Indies Cricket Board statement said.
The WICB revealed the deal was signed between its President Ken Gordon and BCCI representative IS Bindra on April 29.
Surprisingly, BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said in Mumbai the series was yet to be finalised.
"The two boards are in talks, which are still in preliminary stage, to hold two or three bilateral ODIs in Northern America in September before the Champions Trophy," he told PTI.
Shah said the tournament would be given the final seal of approval when it meets WICB officials in June.
More cricket news
Players sign agreement for ICC Trophy, World Cup
PTI
Mumbai: All the 15 members of the Indian squad, which left here for West Indies, have signed the Players Terms for the ICC Champions Trophy and the World Cup.
"All the members in the squad have signed the Players Terms for the Champions Trophy and the World Cup and others who will be selected would also sign these terms," Cricket Board Secretary Niranjan Shah said today.
At his invitation, Sachin Tendulkar, recuperating from a shoulder operation, joined the pre-departure team dinner last night, the Board Secretary said.
A team meeting was held prior to the dinner, with Shah and the Board's Executive Secretary in charge, Ratnakar Shetty, also in attendance at the team hotel in suburban Bandra. PTI
Lara looking to maintain winning sequence
PTI
Port-of-Spain (Trinidad): West Indies captain Brian Lara has said his side was looking to build up a winning sequence ahead of the one-day cricket series against India starting next week.
Lara said his team would look to win the remaining two one-dayers against Zimbabwe as it would serve as a confidence booster before they locked horns with Rahul Dravid's men.
"Whatever we can get out of this series will be good for us, I don't think we need to take a step backwards now," the 37-year-old batting genius said.
"I think confidence is the most important (thing) for this West Indies team during this period of time. Our backs have been against the wall, we've lost a lot of matches both in Test and One-Day cricket. Whoever we play against, we have to win, building up a type of winning sequence is important for us." West Indies have an unassailable 4-0 lead over Zimbabwe after the third game of the seven-match series was abandoned in Guyana because of adverse weather conditions last Saturday.
India, ranked No. 3 in both Tests and ODIs, are expected to pose a stronger challenge but Lara sounded confident about his team turning the tables on the opposition.
"The guys know we can compete and we can beat India. We have done that in the past in India and in the West Indies," Lara was quoted as saying in 'Jamaica Observer' today.
"So it is just a matter of getting mentally ready and... getting the confidence up," he said.