ICC crosses India fingers

The International Cricket Council (ICC) are expecting to receive signed World Cup contracts from India on Tuesday amid confusion over whether the players have agreed to play in the tournament starting next month.

"Today is the deadline," said ICC corporate affairs manager Brendan McClements. "We understand we are going to receive the playing contracts today.

"The ICC is reserving its position until it has seen them and understands what they contain."

The Indian board announced last week that all 15 squad members had signed up for the February 9 to March 23 event in South Africa but were still unhappy about some terms relating to sponsorships.

It is unclear whether the players have signed under protest or deleted two disputed clauses, as reported by some sections of the Indian media, thus rendering the contracts invalid.

India's players, who make more money through endorsements than through match fees, are opposed to ICC demands that they freeze personal advertising before, during and after the tournament so as not to clash with official World Cup sponsors.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said last week the players were "extremely keen to participate" but said he was not sure if their "qualified signatures" would end the impasse.

BCCI secretary Karunakaran Nair, however, told Reuters by phone from the southern city of Trivandrum on Tuesday: "The players' objections...have been recorded while signing."

Should the ICC be unhappy with the contracts, the issue could end up in the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), an independent body set up to rule on sporting issues, for a binding ruling.

The ICC has made some concessions to India's players over their image rights in an attempt to end the long-running dispute which also threatened India's participation in the Champions Trophy in September. India's players eventually played in that event, sharing the title with Sri Lanka.