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Calcutta: The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has invited the India 'A' team to take part in the Busta International Series in 2002, WICB president Pat Rousseau announced in Calcutta on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

'The tournament will become more competitive if the India 'A' squad agrees to participate next year,' Rousseau said at a joint Press conference with Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.

England 'A' are participating in this year's Busta tournament, the first of the foreign teams the WICB is planning to invite annually.

Rousseau said he wanted to exchange ideas with the Indian authorities on the successful running of an academy, the first of which was opened in the West Indies last week. Outlining the areas of mutual co-operation between the cricket boards of the two countries, Rousseau said the West Indies was eager to learn from India the use of Information Technology in developing the game.

He announced that WICB would also buy cricketing gear including bats, balls, pads and gloves from India for their Under-12, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 teams.

'We have been buying a lot of equipment from India, but so far there was not much co-ordination between the two boards,' he said.

Rousseau hailed the observance of the ACF's foundation day on February 3 as Frank Worrell Day, saying it was the only organisation in the cricketing world which had bestowed such an honour on the former West Indies captain.

Next year three former West Indies cricketers, who had played alongside Worrell, would fly to Calcutta for the occasion, he said.

Asked to comment on the match-fixing controversy which has rocked the cricketing world, Rousseau said: 'It is high time we leave the controversy behind. But at the same time we have to adopt proper preventive measures to prevent its recurrence.'

He said the WICB had not instituted an inquiry against former captain Brian Lara, named in the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation report on match-fixing.

'We are awaiting the outcome of the meeting between the ICC and the lawyers representing the various cricket boards in Melbourne later this week,' Rousseau explained.

'We will first see whether they can substantiate the allegations against Lara.'

© The Barbados Nation