With the Board of Control for Cricket in India reportedly preparing to claim damages of at least $US65 million ($74 million) over lost earnings from the abandoned tour – and forecasting the cancellation of India's series in the Caribbean in 2016 – the former powerhouse of world cricket could be dealt a fatal financial blow. And while the sad decline of the West Indies has reached a new low, there are implications for Australia, who are due to tour there next autumn before an Ashes series in England. Australia are then scheduled to host the eighth-ranked Test nation for a Test and limited-overs series in the summer of 2015-16.

Before that there is also the issue of the World Cup, being staged in Australia and New Zealand in February and March.

Edwards, who chairs the International Cricket Council's influential executive committee, of which Australia, India and England are permanent members, said on Sunday CA had sought more information on the West Indies' predicament but indicated alarm at the developments on the subcontinent.

"The situation that has just unfolded, with the West Indian players abandoning the remainder of the Indian tour, is deeply concerning for a game that needs strong co-operation for its survival," Edwards said. "We are a long way from what has taken place in India and have sought further details so we can understand more as a priority."

West Indies were to play five one-day internationals, a Twenty20 international and three Tests against India but withdrew after the fourth ODI in Dharmasala.

Sri Lanka have agreed to step in and play five ODIs in India next month but the BCCI is, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo, considering legal avenues to recoup lost broadcast rights and sponsorship revenue of tens of millions of dollars.

While that could bring them to their knees, the West Indies Cricket Board bizarrely used Twitter on Sunday to re-advertise its vacant head coaching position.

Former Australia coach Mickey Arthur was until recently linked to the post but a fortnight after the West Indies announced a "global search" for a new mentor, it is shaping as one of the least desirable jobs in world cricket.

The West Indies, like other Test nations, rely heavily on Indian television money, so on top of any legal action will be hit hard if India go ahead with an intention to snub their next scheduled tour of the West Indies in 2016.

"It will be very difficult to play West Indies in bilateral series in future," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel told Reuters. "They have to demonstrate the willingness that such situations never happen again. I would say that India's next tour of West Indies is highly unlikely to go ahead in the current situation.

"Whatever the dispute, they should have honoured the bilateral agreement. We have suffered huge losses and the ICC is our parent body and we are going to ask them to ensure that this never happens in the future."

As the ICC scrambles for a solution and the WICB ready for an emergency board meeting on Tuesday, Edwards said the dispute needed to be sorted out urgently. "Put simply, players and boards must fulfil their commitments to the Future Tours Programme," Edwards said."Situations such as these have to be avoided at all costs because ultimately those that are affected most are the people that the game depends on so heavily – cricket lovers, key broadcasters and commercial partners. For the game's sake, this needs to be resolved as soon as possible."

While the West Indies' immediate future is unclear, their women's team this week begin a month-long tour of Australia featuring four T20s and four ODIs against the Southern Stars.