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'We are fighting battle of nerves with ICC'

December 30, 2002 15:16 IST

The battle between the International Cricket Council and Board of Control for Cricket in India will enter a decisive stage with the announcement of the Indian team for the World Cup on Monday.

In an exclusive briefing to rediff.com about the Indian strategy to tackle the crisis, a high-level negotiator between the Indian cricketers' sponsors and the ICC said, "It's a battle of nerves and we will fight it successfully because we have the bargaining power."

Sunday, ICC president Malcolm Gray ruled out any further concessions to the Indians, saying, 'The one thing that is quite clear is that BCCI has to deal with it. A practical approach will have to be taken and common sense should prevail.'

The Indian side, not surprisingly, thinks the opposite.

The afore-quoted negotiator, speaking on condition that he would not be identified, said, "This is a battle where the Government of India and BCCI have no role. Under the ICC and BCCI shadow, the ICC's sponsors and sponsors of the Indian cricketers are fighting a battle for money."

The Indian players have realized if they stick it out as long as they can, the ICC will crack and they will win the confrontation. "Once the BCCI announces its team, we will ask those selected players to sign the contracts. Obviously, they are not going to oblige. Once they refuse, we will be forced to send Gautam Gambhir instead of Sachin Tendulkar! It's as simple as that," said the negotiator.

The Indian cricketers know one statistic well, the negotiator added, which is that 82 per cent of the ICC's income comes from the Indian market. If the BCCI sends a B team to the World Cup, the ICC stands to lose more than $180 million.

In view of this fact, the actual battle is between the ICC sponsors and the Indian cricketers's sponsors. Among the latter are Samsung, Coca-Cola and TVS.

As of today, the BCCI, in an "unofficial" move, has asked the ICC to compensate the potential loss to their players' sponsors, which will be to tune of over $20 million, and get the best Indian players at the World Cup.

This is a feasible option, claimed the negotiator.

Four points are being made to the ICC's sponsors, who have staked more than $550 million till 2007 for all ICC events. They are:

The Indian players signed the contract with their sponsors long before the ICC's new offer. How can they violate these contracts? Their sponsors would ask the Indian players to return the fees paid to them if the cricketers sign the ICC's contract.

Even if the cricketers end their contract or violate it, the Indian sponsors can telecast earlier commercials and spoil the ICC's plans of exclusivity.

Why can't the ICC wait to negotiate such contracts for future matches and tournaments? Why mess around with the Indian players' existing deals?

Why is the ICC overlooking the fact that India is the largest contributor to its treasure chest?

With so much involved, the Government of India, the BCCI and its president Jagmohan Dalmiya, and the Indian players and their sponsors have come together in this unprecedented fight with the ICC, the negotiator said.

"The solution will be found once Ranji Trophy players are sent to the World Cup by the BCCI! The ICC should know we have the power in this war of nerves," the negotiator claimed.

He refuted the allegation that Dalmiya knew about the likely ICC contract when he headed the Council. "That is just not true. Dalmiya had no role in the conceptualisation of the ICC contract," he said.

Sheela Bhatt in New Delhi