February 07, 2008	Thursday	Muharram 28, 1429

MELBOURNE, Feb 6: BCCI Vice-President Lalit Modi minced no words on Wednesday in warning Cricket Australia that its players were at risk of losing lucrative Indian Premier League deals if it continued with the contentious demand of promotion of its sponsors during the League.

”If they want to keep playing these games, they can keep their players and we will have the IPL without them,” Modi was quoted as saying by the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’. “I am being very clear about this. Cricket Australia wants global protection of its sponsors, we are not interested in that. That does not happen anywhere in cricket. The fact is, if Cricket Australia continues these demands they will cause their players to suffer,” he said.

As sponsors pay millions of dollars to CA each year, they expect to receive coverage whenever an Australian player takes part in any international series but in the IPL cricketers will represent clubs and are expected to wear sanctioned gear.

Modi, however, said the players’ personal sponsorships would not be affected in any way. “We have no issue at all with personal sponsors of players, and there should be no confusion. The players can play and keep their sponsors, and get more personal sponsors throughout the tournament,” he said.

Modi gave the example of Australians playing English county cricket to highlight why CA’s request was unreasonable. “If Foster’s sponsors Cricket Australia, and a player goes to play for Hampshire, they can’t get coverage in England. No organisation gives this non-competitive guarantee. It is up to (CA), they have been told our position and we will not move on this.”

In reply, CA has said there had been a misunderstanding. “We are very keen to talk to the BCCI to resolve a number of outstanding issues,” CA spokesman Peter Young said. “We are extremely confident that all of these issues are capable of being resolved. As we have said all along, we are very, very keen to see the IPL succeed,” he added.—Agencies