India suspend tours of West Indies and start legal action

India have played against West Indies since 1948

India have suspended all future tours to the Caribbean following the West Indies' decision to withdraw from their visit to India last week.

The Windies left India after Friday's fourth one-day match because of a pay dispute between board and players.

India were scheduled to tour the Caribbean in February and March 2016.

However, a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said all tours between the two countries "stand suspended".

The BCCI also announced it would take legal action against the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

India will now play a five-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka, starting on 2 November.

The West Indies quit their tour of India after a day of confusion and conflicting statements.

The BCCI first released a statement saying West Indies would be returning home at the conclusion of the fourth one-day international, which was already under way.

The WICB initially denied that but, after India won the match by 59 runs, Windies captain Dwayne Bravo said the tour had ended and all-rounder Darren Sammy tweeted: "Honey I'm coming home."

There were still five matches scheduled - the fifth one-day international, a one-off Twenty20 international and three Tests.

All-rounder Darren Sammy tweeted he was returning home from India early

The WICB then put a statement on Facebook saying Bravo had informed it "the players have taken a decision to withdraw their services for the remainder of the tour of India".

The board offered to field a replacement team for the remainder of the tour, but said that "was not considered acceptable" by the BCCI.

Former Windies fast bowler Colin Croft admitted to BBC Sport he was concerned how the developments would affect the team.

"I've grown up with cricket and cricket is still a very big part of the West Indies," said the 61-year-old, one of a host of West Indians who broke away from the team to play in World Series Cricket in the 1970s.

"There is this fallacy that basketball and football has taken over - that is not true.

"India is the financial force of world cricket and West Indies make most of their income from tours either to India or India coming to the West Indies.

"It could well be that the West Indies end up owing India something like $75m for pulling out of that tour. This is very, very serious.

"This is a new era, a time when cricket is universal.

"When you do something like this and damage your image - especially with India - anything could happen."