Pepsi, LG claim damages from
GCC over contract issue
M. Chhaya in Kolkata
Two major sponsors of the International Cricket Council have
claimed "an unspecified amount" in damages from the marketing firm
that has a $550 million contract with the ICC.
Pepsi and consumer durable major LG are believed to have placed
their claim before the Global Cricket Corporation, which
bought the telecast and marketing rights of the ICC tournaments
till 2007 World Cup for a whopping $550 million.
The development forced the ICC's committee for review of
Players' Terms to hold a hurriedly called video conference
among its members, which also includes Indian cricket board chief
Jagmohan Dalmiya, on Friday.
The two sponsors are angry that the Indian players were allowed
certain concessions by the ICC in the contentious Players' Terms
just before the start of the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in
September.
The Indian players had refused to participate if the ICC did not
dilute some of the stiff conditions relating to players'
endorsements and imaging rights.
The ICC had to relent as the absence of stars like Sachin
Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid would have reduced the
tournament's attraction and told on the advertisement revenues.
The ICC reduced from 30 days to 16 days the period after a
tournament when a player could not endorse for a company that is
the rival of the an ICC sponsor.
The solution was said to be for the Champions Trophy alone, and
the ICC was asked by the boards of different Test-playing nations
to review the controversial Players' Terms.
The GCC is expected to ask the ICC to "implement the Players'
Terms in toto or compensate the losses claimed by the sponsors",
according to a top BCCI source. The GCC-ICC meeting is slated for
November 15 in Paris.
If the ICC does not resolve the situation soon, the GCC has the
option of pulling out of the deal and jeopardising the World Cup,
due in three months, in South Africa.
The Contract Row - The Complete Coverage
Mail Cricket Editor
