DUBAI, Aug 31: The International Cricket Council gave India more time to try and convince their top players not to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy on Saturday but warned it would not back down in a sponsorship row.

ICC president Malcolm Gray told reporters on Saturday after an emergency six-hour executive board meeting: “There is no cut-off time or deadline for India, but we do expect their players to sign the contract within two or three days.”

In what was effectively an ultimatum, he added: “We will not accept any changes in the contract at this stage because it will be unfair on other teams who have signed the agreement.”

Gray said 11 of the 12 teams due to play in the Champions Trophy “have either signed the contract or in the process of doing so”.—Reuters