The Hindu : ICC-BCCI meet: no decision yet on contracts issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 10, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

ICC-BCCI meet: no decision yet on contracts issue

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA DEC. 9. A decision on the vexed contracts issue eluded the representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday despite deliberating for close to four hours.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the Board president said today's meeting came "very close to resolving the contracts issue.'' He said: "The representatives of the ICC and the BCCI managed to narrow down the contentious issues to great extent thus paving a way for a quicker solution.''

The Board president said the next round of talks could be in person or by telephonic conference. He did not rule out another interaction, if needed, in a week or ten days time.

Justice (Retired) Ahmed Ebrahim, a member of the ICC constituted committee formed to resolve the contracts issue, said the concern of the India players was taken into consideration. "One or two issued required further discussion. Both the ICC and the BCCI would like to consult other members of their organisation before arriving at a decision,'' he said.

When asked to disclose the points which were agreed upon, Justice Ebrahim stated it would not be wise to declare any aspect of the agreement arrived at today's meeting at this juncture. He said the best Indian team was keen to take part in the World Cup and this was welcomed by the ICC.

Mr. Dalmiya, also a member of the ICC World Cup Contracts' Committee, said he had offered to resign from the ICC body because he was to represent the Indian players and the BCCI. His resignation letter, sent a week earlier, did not evoke any response from the ICC. "Only this morning I was told by the ICC that I could continue to be a part of the ICC panel because I was only helping to break the deadlock,'' he said.

Justice Ebrahim, to a question on India failing to meet the deadline in naming the 30 probables for the World Cup, said the ICC was flexible on this issue and would wait for some more time.

The ICC was represented by Justice Ebrahim and Mr. Dave Richardson, general manager (cricket operations) while the BCCI had its president and Anil Kumble, the Indian players' representative to attend the meeting.

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