KCA officials quizzed over reports of payment to Windies

Kochi, Oct 18 (IANS) Income tax officials here have quizzed Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) office bearers over a payment controversy following media reports that the game's local governing body intervened and offered to pay the financially embattled West Indies team money to enable the first One-Day International (ODI) of a five-match series to commence as per schedule.

The match was played here Oct 8, and the Windies won by 124 runs.

"Yes, the income tax sleuths from the Kochi office did meet up with us to find out if the news report that the KCA paid the money was true. We explained our position to them and they understood it. How is it possible for the KCA to pay the West Indies team? We were all surprised to hear the news reports too," T.C. Mathew, KCA president, told IANS Saturday.

The West Indies tour began in controversial circumstances when reports emerged that the players refused to take the field, before settlement of the dispute, for the tour to begin here.

The West Indies cricket players are currently embroiled in a payment dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), consequence of which, their tour of India got abandoned midway Oct 17 after the completion of the fourth ODI at Dharamsala.

The tour was scheduled to have a fifth ODI, a Twenty20 international as well as three Tests. 

India led the ODI series 2-1 after completion of the fourth match when the tour was forfeited.