November 20 Wednesday 2002
ICC hopeful of settling contract issue before World Cup

NEW DELHI: The sponsorship issue involving cricketers and administrators is expected to be settled ahead of next year's World Cup in South Africa, a top official said here on Tuesday.

"We are not looking for confrontation, but solution to this issue. I don't see any reason why we can't find a creative solution," International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcom Speed told reporters. "We want the best players to participate in the World Cup," said Speed, who will meet Indian cricket board officials and sponsors 
on his two-day visit to the country.

The contract row nearly led to the withdrawal of some of the world's best cricketers, especially from India, from the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in September. India took the longest to resolve the crisis, threatening to send a second-string team if the top players did not sign the agreement with the ICC.

They named their best squad just three days before the tournament. The Indians, including Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, had initially refused to sign contracts that prevented them from endorsing products which conflicted with official ICC sponsors for 30 days before and after the event.

The period was later reduced to 17 days in a bid to resolve the crisis following an agreement reached between the sport's world governing body and the Indian players in London in September. "That was a pragmatic solution at that time," said Speed. "We are here to discuss the issue again and working together with the Indian board to resolve it much before the World Cup. We haven't set a deadline for anyone to sign the contract, but hope to find the solution soon."

Speed said he would be meeting only the board officials and not Indian cricketers who have endorsement deals that are in conflict with the ICC official sponsors.

"The ICC deals with the boards and the boards deals with their players. We talk to the players only when asked by the board," Speed said, referring to the ICC officials' meeting with Indian cricketers in England. The international body then intervened after the Indian board said it had no power to deal with its players since it was an ICC 
contract.