The International Cricket Council has confirmed that India will play in the World Cup, after its executive board endorsed an agreement during today's teleconference.

The decision ends a six-month contracts dispute between the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Under the agreement, the BCCI will take responsibility for any compensation claims from the ICC's commercial partners as a result of the Indian team playing under altered contracts. Until such claims are decided by arbitration, the ICC will retain India's World Cup distribution fund of $US9 million dollars.

The ICC is insisting that if arbitration determines that the BCCI is liable for damages and the BCCI refuse to pay this compensation, it will recommend India's suspension from the ICC.

"This agreement will see the ICC and the BCCI put the current commercial dispute aside for the period of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003," said the ICC President, Malcolm Gray.

"It clears the way for the best team to represent India and ensures that the ICC is able to protect the commercial interests of the game around the world through the agreed process to deal with these issues."

The dispute arose from the conflicting interests of World Cup sponsors and the Indian players' personal sponsors. The ICC had demanded personal endorsements should be suspended around its tournaments, but India's players argued that their image rights had been signed away without negotiation.

In March, the Indian board accepted the World Cup sponsorship terms without consulting its players, who then threatened not to play. The board did a U-turn, blaming the ICC terms for being too restrictive. India's top players will now be able to play while continuing with their private endorsements.