Delhi HC backs players, Indian board in contracts row with ICC

Delhi HC backs players, Indian board in contracts row with ICC

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today weighed in to the ongoing dispute between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) over the payers' contracts issue.
On a public litigation petition filed by Kapil Dev and others on the cricket row threatening the World Cup, the HC, in an interim ruling, observed that if India doesn't play in the World Cup there will be no telecast of the advertisements of the official sponsors.
It has also said that the Centre would have to step in and take action to stop transfer of foreign exchange if BCCI has to pay compensation to the ICC as a fallout of India not playing in the World Cup.
The next date of hearing is likely to be within seven days.
Meanwhile, the BCCI was today reportedly discussing in Delhi the olive branch offered by the ICC on the sponsorship row.
Reuters, quoting sources close to ICC, in a report filed from London, has stated that ICC has offered to end the sponsorship row with India over World Cup contracts with a "large olive branch".
A specially convened World Cup contracts committee of the ICC agreed by teleconference at the weekend to clear the way for India's participation in the competition, which begins in Southern Africa on 8 February.
It will accept India's refusal to sign up to its World Cup sponsorship rules in their entirety in return for a reimbursement from their board of any future claims for compensation arising from that.
This proposal will be endorsed by a full board meeting of the ICC on Friday, the Reuters report quoted the source as saying.