NEW DELHI, Aug 28: World cricket chiefs were left walking a tightrope Wednesday after India’s top players offered to play in next month’s Champions Trophy without signing sponsorship agreements.

Saurav Ganguly’s team, currently touring England, said they would take part in the limited-overs tournament in Sri Lanka from Sept 12 to 30 and even urge their personal sponsors to put advertisement campaigns on hold during that period.

But the players stress they will not sign the International Cricket Council (ICC) pact prohibiting them from advertising for companies which are rivals of official sponsors for events, such as the Champions Trophy and the World Cup, during and one month before and after the event.

The ICC, however, is equally adamant that only those cricketers who sign the agreement in its totality by Friday can take part in the Champions Trophy.

India and Sri Lanka are the only teams that have not signed the contract, with the Sri Lankans demanding 30 percent of the revenue earned by their board from the ICC as compensation.

The latest offer from India’s star players, including batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, has caught the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a bind.—AFP