ECB disappointed by WICB ticket stance

Tim Lamb, chief executive of the England & Wales Cricket Board, today expressed deep disappointment that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) would not reconsider its imposition of a $260 cricket levy for England supporters purchasing tickets for next year's West Indies versus England Test matches in the Caribbean.

Tim Lamb (c) Getty Images

Lamb said: "The ECB has made strenuous efforts to try and convince the WICB that this cricket levy is an inequitable, disproportionate and unjustifiable way of treating England supporters.

"We are extremely unhappy about the situation, about which there was no prior consultation, and have made our views known - very clearly - to the WICB. However, they have refused to reconsider the imposition of this 'tax' and, as our hosts, that is their prerogative.

"The WICB have been accused of gratuitous and flagrant profiteering and we fully understand why so many of our supporters are so incensed about this issue."

Lamb added: "We have taken the matter up at the highest level with the ICC, who, while being sympathetic to our case, have no power to intervene in this dispute.

"However, the ICC has said that this issue will be raised at the next meeting of the full member country chief executives in an effort to avoid any repetition of this unfortunate practice happening again in the future."