With the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka by the West Indies cricket team less than two weeks away, and with concerns in the Caribbean high over the safety of the West Indian players, assurances have been received by the sport's governing body in the West Indies. These assurances have come from the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), the Chairman of BCCSL Mr. Vijaya Malalasekera.

The BCCSL Chairman gave those assurances to the president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Rev Wes Hall. The officials of both cricket boards held bilateral discussions while attending the recently concluded International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As a result of these discussions, the BCCSL chairman said that the BCCSL and the people of Sri Lanka will undertake measures to guarantee the safety and comfort of the West Indies cricket team during its tour to Sri Lanka scheduled for November to December 2001.

The BCCSL officials have also informed the WICB that national elections have been announced for 5 December,2001, and, if required, match fixtures will be adjusted marginally to avoid interference with the elections.

Meanwhile, during joint discussions, President of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), Mr. Peter Chingoka, has assured the WICB that the ZCU is satisfied with the arrangements in place for team safety and the ZCU will be participating in the Tri Nations One-Day International tournament between Zimbabwe, West Indies and host country Sri Lanka, scheduled for December.

The three countries will continue to liaise with each other to ensure that player safety remains assured.

© CricInfo