BCCI announces new IMG deal

The contract dispute between the BCCI and IMG has been formally laid to rest at the Indian board's annual general meeting in Mumbai on Thursday. IMG will now be paid Rs 27 crore ($5.5 million) for managing the IPL for the remaining eight years of its ten-year deal, and Rs 33 crore ($6.7 million) for its work in 2009.

The old contract between the BCCI and IMG had effectively fallen through last month because of IMG's bill for services concerning the IPL 2009 in South Africa. N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, sent a termination letter to the company, which resulted in letters of protest from the franchises and, eventually, the intervention of former BCCI president Sharad Pawar. The board's working committee subsequently authorised its president Shashank Manohar to act as a mediator and report back to the board at the AGM.

Announcing the new deal at the AGM, Manohar also had a word for the IPL franchises. "There were reports about franchises having written letters to the board," he said. "They have no right to interfere in the internal matters of the board. Such a thing will not be tolerated."

Among other decisions taken at the AGM, the BCCI shifted the first match of the seven-ODI series between Australia and India from the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur to the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara. The move was prompted by the current power struggle within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).

BCCI treasurer MP Pandove said the Mumbai terror attack and its fallout affected the board's revenues by Rs 110 crore ($23 million approximately). This was largely due to the loss of media rights and sponsorship money on account of cancellation of two one-day internationals during England's tour of India, the cancellation of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008, the Champions League 2008 and India's tour of Pakistan.

The board also announced that the players who took part in IPL 2009 will have their earnings taxed at 15% by the South African Revenue Service, though income earned by BCCI-IPL will not be taxed.

The board also retained Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, as a member of the technical committee, which is headed by Sunil Gavaskar. The panel also includes former Test umpire VK Ramaswamy and Kris Srikkanth, who was retained as the head of the senior selection committee for the 2009-10 season.