WI tour of Sri Lanka in doubt

The West Indies tour of Sri Lanka next month was in jeopardy after only three players returned their contracts to the West Indies board by this week’s deadline. The Board gave contracts to 13 players to sign by Tuesday, but the players appeared to re-ignite a dispute over endorsements that began late last year, and almost ended the tour to Australia in January, and forced a below-strength team to play South Africa in March. The Board planned a teleconference later today, and could determine whether the Sri Lanka tour goes ahead, said a source in the board who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Kiwi threat

Wellington: New Zealand may ban a planned tour by the Zimbabwe scheduled for December because of ‘‘appalling abuses of human rights’’, foreign minister Phil Goff said today. ‘‘The Zimbabwe cricket team should not anticipate that it will be granted entry into New Zealand,’’ Goff said in a statement. ‘‘The imposition of a ban on the team would send a strong message to the Mugabe regime.’’

— Agencies