BANGALORE, Aug 20: India Tuesday asked their cricketers to sign a sponsorship agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC), but only for next month’s Champions Trophy in a bid to defuse the current crisis.

“The ICC has agreed to let Indian cricketers participate in the Champions Trophy if they sign the contracts for this tournament only,” said Indian board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.

“This (restricting the contract to one tournament) was proposed by the Indian board and the ICC has agreed to it in writing.”

The compromise would mean the restrictions would not apply during next year’s World Cup.

“After this tournament, the terms for the future ICC-conducted tournaments could be renegotiated,” Dalmiya said after the crucial board’s working committee meeting held in this southern city to resolve the contract controversy.

He added India had confirmed participation in the Champions Trophy starting in Colombo from Sept 12.

The national selectors had been asked to name 20 probables for the tournament, he said.

He added he was hopeful the Indians would now sign the contract which states that players cannot have endorsement deals that are in conflict with the official ICC sponsors.

Some key Indian players, including Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Saurav Ganguly, have been hesitant as they have agreements with companies that are in competition with the ICC sponsors.

Dalmiya said he also assured the players the board would back them if they faced any legal problems or suffered financial losses.

“The board is with the players on this issue though the players have to sign. The board is sympathetic with them and understands their concerns,” he said.

Dalmiya said the board would pick the probables even if the players stuck to their decision not to sign the contracts.

“We’ll select the best available team,” he said. “We’ll not default and give other teams a walk-over, so we decided to participate in the tournament.”

The Working Committee, the decision-making body of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), convened a session here a day after Indian players refused to sign the contract.

A board official said the Working Committee meeting was being held a day earlier than planned following the rigid stand adopted by the Indian cricketers.

ICC chief executive Malcom Speed landed in Mumbai early Tuesday but said he was not in a position to comment.

“This is a personal visit planned three months back,” he said. “It is just incidental that I am here when this whole thing is happening.”

Speed was also to hold talks with sponsors of Indian cricketers in Mumbai, other sources said.

Indian cricketers in a statement issued at Leeds slammed an ICC contract clause which prevents them from endorsing products which are in conflict with official sponsors.

The “ambush marketing” clause, which was agreed by Indian cricketing authorities in 2000, puts an end to players endorsing such products one month before and after an ICC-sponsored event such as the Champions Trophy and the World Cup next year.

The ICC wants players to sign the contract, which will be valid until 2007.

“We believe by signing the player contract we are caught totally in the middle,” the Indian players said in a statement to the media.

“We have been told that unless we sign a document which forces us to relinquish all our intellectual property and personal commercial rights, we would be ineligible to play for our country in tournaments conducted by the ICC,” the statement said.

“On one hand, we suffer exposure from the ICC/BCCI when they could allege non-compliance with our obligations.

“On the other hand, we could face exposure from our competitive sponsors who have paid us for the right to exploit our brand and image commercially.

“We want to play. We are not asking for anything more than we have been getting. We are just not being allowed to play, much against our wishes.”

It said such restrictions did not apply to any player participating in the Olympics or World Cup football.

Cricketers from Australia, South Africa and West Indies also have yet to sign the ICC contract though their respective boards have inked it.—AFP