BCCI secretary admits the game is up

With a day left before the crucial ICC Executive Committee meeting starts in Dubai tomorrow, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah all but admitted that the game was up for the Indian board as far as buying time to accommodate the players was concerned.

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With a day left before the crucial ICC Executive Committee meeting starts in Dubai tomorrow, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah all but admitted that the game was up for the Indian board as far as buying time to accommodate the players was concerned.

When informed that the Indian cricketers, currently touring England, had sent out a fresh proposal to their board yesterday, in an attempt to resolve the sponsorship row, Shah pointedly told Gulf News that the "ICC will not agree to any new proposal now."

The Indian cricketers were yesterday willing to make further concessions, but added that new negotiations would have to take place between the BCCI and the ICC before the World Cup early next year with a view towards protecting the cricketer's rights.

Shah, however, was of the view that the BCCI's role was irrelevant as it was the ICC who was the sole authority to decide on the matter.

"It has nothing to do with the Board accepting the players' terms and conditions. The ICC will have to accept the players demands. I have put our case forward to the ICC, but the issue goes before the executive meeting on August 31," he said.

The Indian cricketers yesterday put out a new proposal through their representative Ravi Shastri.

"The players have agreed to send out a official note in the interest of the event," said Shastri.

"They have asked their sponsors to back off for the specific time frame before and after the event. But they feel that the ICC is asking them to sign a one-sided contract. The players are looking for a middle path.

"We fear that if the ICC continues to remain adamant with respect to their stance sponsors may begin to pull out."

While it is being largely argued that the ICC in inserting the clause on 'ambush marketing' has gone on to actually ambush the players' fundamental right itself, Shah went on to defend the BCCI's decision of not informing the player's before signing the contract.

Shah said, "The contract was drawn up two years ago. So which players do we have to consult? If so, we will have to consult about 500 to 1,000 players. Is the contract mandatory and abiding to every player?"

On the player's feeling let-down by the BCCI, Shah reiterated that, "The money being received by the players go privately to the players. But the money being received by the ICC from sponsors goes into the development of cricket. On one side we have cricket which is benefitting and on the other side the players..."

When informed of serious speculation that the player's were preparing to launch an assault on the BCCI in terms of demanding a players' representative body within the Board, Shah confidently said, "Whatever they (the players) want to do in the future, they can do.

"India is a democratic country. We cannot say that they can't form an association. At the moment, however, our participation in the Champions Trophy is important."

When informed that the players may also negotiate for a percentage of the revenue earned by the BCCI specially from TV and gate receipts, as is the practice adopted by some countries, Shah stated that, "Such terms and conditions will have to be agreed to by the BCCI. At the moment, however, the cricketers have to decide whether they want to change their minds by today.

"All that we can do now is send another set of players who are willing to sign the contract. Look at the Pakistan team, they have signed the contract because they want to get the benefits from the ICC.

"The players should realise this and think about the future of the game. The system is bigger than the individual. He should forget his moment and play cricket. But if they don't then we are prepared for any eventually."

Conceding that BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya was going to face a tough inquisition tomorrow, Shah stated that, "If nine countries are ready to play and you alone are not willing, then you are going to get isolated."

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