The West Indies cancelled the remainder of their tour of India yesterday due to an escalating crisis surrounding player payment, only for the West Indies Cricket Board  (WICB) to deny the claim hours later.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said during the fourth one-day international in Dharamsala that the visiting team would be flying home after the match.

The BCCI said it was “shocked and extremely disappointed” by the development, warning it could damage the relationship it had with the West Indies and calling for action from the International Cricket Council.

But the WICB later insisted in a statement on its official Facebook page — after India arranged a five-match ODI series with Sri Lanka to fill the void — that it “has taken no decision to discontinue the ongoing tour.”

The fifth match, scheduled for Monday at Eden Gardens, and the Twenty20 international and three Tests following that, will not now take place. The third ODI had already been cancelled due to a cyclone.

While the West Indies dealt with their alarming situation, India moved swiftly to arrange a five-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka to fill the void.

A BCCI statement read: “The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has informed the BCCI of its decision to cancel the rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players, and has advised the BCCI that its players will return home immediately.

“The BCCI is shocked and extremely disappointed at the decision taken by the WICB.

“The WICB’s inability to resolve internal issues with its players and allowing the same to affect an ongoing bilateral series does not reflect well on any of those involved.

“The withdrawal gives little thought to the future of the game, the players and the long-standing relations between the BCCI and the WICB.

“The BCCI will pursue all options available to protect its rights, whilst seeking appropriate action from the ICC to ensure that its interests and those of the game at large will not suffer any damage due to such acts of indiscretion.”

Trouble had seemed imminent at the televised pre-match coin toss in Dharamsala when Windies captain Dwayne Bravo, with his full team standing in the background, told broadcaster Ian Bishop: “Time to make a decision.”

The team have been in dispute with the West Indies Players Association over the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement and memorandum of understanding, which would see sponsorship payments reallocated to fund the wider professional game in the islands.