Australia to send full-strength team to ICC Trophy

MELBOURNE - Australia will send a full-strength cricket team to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka.

The Australian Cricket Board and the Australian Cricketers Association announced today that both parties will sign a participating nations agreement.

But ACA chief executive Tim May said the players will only sign papers subject to the International Cricket Council consulting with them on sponsorship deals.

The ICC wants players to sign contracts preventing them from promoting their individual sponsors for 30 days either side of next February's World Cup in South Africa.

Leading players from India and England had also baulked at signing the ICC contracts because of concerns over existing sponsorships.

A resolution covering the World Cup had yet to be reached.

ACB chief executive James Sutherland said negotiations would be dealt with one tournament at a time.

He said in a worst-case scenario, players could be financially compensated if their endorsements conflicted with those of the ICC.

May has sent the agreement signed by the Australian players to cricket associations overseas and was hopeful it would be used as a model to encourage other countries to commit full-strength squads to the Champions Trophy.