ICC approve of West Indies, India deal

The International Cricket Council has given its blessing to the new profit-sharing agreement, which will see the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Indian board (BCCI) exploiting the lucrative American market.

The WICB and the BCCI have agreed to play between three and five one-dayers in the United States and Canada in August and September.

"This will give the West Indies a chance to exploit a huge fan base and exploit a huge market," said Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive. He added that India, with a population of over a billion and the combined populations of Canada and the United States of over 300 million, gives the West Indies a chance to take advantage of these huge economies.

"Throughout the cricket world, all of the cricketing countries will be pleased that the West Indies will be able to take advantage of the power that these two huge economies and countries offer," said Speed. "At the ICC we are very happy that the matches will be played in the United States and Canada. It will promote the game in these two countries. The relationship between the WICB and the BCCI is very important and the WICB should be congratulated for getting this agreement going."