NEW DELHI, April 8: Indian captain Rahul Dravid on Sunday dismissed any talk of a rift between players and the board, but requested a meeting to iron out ‘irksome’ issues.

Dravid insisted there was no conflict between star players and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the authorities announced a clampdown on the players' outside interests, a statement released to the media said.

“It is not correct to project this whole issue as a conflict of commercial interests of the players and the BCCI. Let me clarify that there is no conflict between the players' and the BCCI,” he said.

India's cricket chiefs on Saturday introduced performance-linked payments to the national team, saying that only by winning will they earn more money.

It also scrapped special contracts for senior players following the team's first round exit from the World Cup in the Caribbean after losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Players will also not be allowed to endorse more than three sponsors, a move that had been recommended by a group of former captains on Friday.

“The interests of the players and the BCCI are inclusive and not exclusive.The BCCI has always been very caring and considerate about the players' interests and I am sure that the BCCI would discuss the issue with the players at a suitable time,” Dravid's statement added.

“When this opportunity arises then we shall jointly examine the areas of concern and bother and crease out the irksome issues,” he added.

Indian players are sought after by companies to endorse their products in a country where cricket is the most popular sport.

Superstar Sachin Tendulkar, regarded as one of the world's richest cricketers, reportedly has around seven sponsorships worth $400 million.

Team members were previously paid $3,400 for a One-day International and $4,500 for Test matches, in addition to annual contracts ranging from $110,000 to $45,000.—AFP