JOHANNESBURG, Sept 3: South Africa’s players and administrators were at loggerheads Monday over the International Cricket Council’s controversial marketing contract for the Champions Trophy.

Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association, was quoted on South African television as saying the players remained unhappy with the contracts and would not sign them. Irish was not immediately available for comment.

Late Monday, the United Cricket Board (UCB) was also unwilling to budge on the issue which has overshadowed the build-up to the tournament which starts in Sri Lanka on Sept 12.

“The United Cricket Board (UCB) has given an undertaking to the International Cricket Council (ICC) that our strongest squad will represent South Africa at the Champions Trophy, and our strongest squad leaves for Sri Lanka on Sunday,” UCB communications director Bronwyn Wilkinson told Reuters.

Wilkinson said Irish was meeting UCB chief executive Gerald Majola in Cape Town on Tuesday to try and resolve the issue.

The ICC contract stops players from endorsing products of rival companies to official ICC sponsors 30 days either side of its events and contains a provision which allows official sponsors to use player images for up to six months.

Most participating boards have reached agreement with their players, and earlier indications were that the South Africans would follow suit after an ICC meeting in Dubai at the weekend.—Reuters