WICB invites India A team for Busta Cup

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has invited the India A team to take part in its annual domestic tournament, the Busta Cup, WICB president Patrick Rousseau announced in Kolkata on Tuesday.

"The tournament will become more competitive if the India A squad agrees to participate next year," Rousseau said at a joint press conference with Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The prize money tournament is played every year from the first week of January. After the preliminary stage, four teams lock horns in a round robin league, with the top two taking part in a play-off for the championship. England A is participating in this year's edition of the Busta Cup.

Rousseau, who came to the city to hold discussions with Dalmiya, said a cricket academy was launched in the West Indies last week. "We also wanted to exchange ideas with the Indian authorities on the successful running of the academy," he said.

Outlining the areas of mutual cooperation between the cricket boards of the two countries, Rousseau said the West Indies was eager to learn from India the use of Information Technology in developing the game.

He announced that West Indies board would also buy cricketing gear including bats, balls, pads and gloves from India for their Under-12, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 teams. "We have been buying a lot of equipment from India, but so far there was not much coordination between the two boards."

Expressing happiness with the CAB'S observance of its foundation day on February 3 as Frank Worrell Day, Rousseau said it was the only organisation in the cricketing world which has bestowed such an honour on the former West Indies skipper. Next year three former West Indies cricketers, who had played alongside Worrell would fly down here for the occasion, he said.

Asked to comment on the match-fixing controversy which has rocked the cricketing world, Rousseau said "It is high time we leave the controversy behind. But at the same time we have to adopt proper preventive measures to prevent its recurrence".

He answered in the negative to a query whether the West Indies Cricket Board had instituted an inquiry against former Caribbean skipper Brian Lara, named in the CBI report on match-fixing. "We are awaiting the outcome of the meeting between the ICC and the lawyers representing the various cricket boards in Melbourne later this week. We will first see whether they can substantiate the allegations against Lara," he said.