England waiting for Cup deal (30 March 1999)

30 March 1999

England waiting for Cup deal

Richard Bright

David Graveney yesterday pleaded for a quick resolution to England's World Cup contract negotiations before the issue undermined the final stages of preparations for this summer's tournament.

Graveney, the chairman of selectors, arrived with England's 15-man squad in Lahore yesterday for a week of practice matches before the Coca-Cola Cup in Sharjah against India and Pakistan, their final competitive fixtures before the World Cup.

With six weeks until the World Cup begins, the England Cricket Board are yet to confirm contract details to the 15 selected players, despite lengthy negotiations between Alec Stewart, the captain, and Simon Pack, the international team director.

After a gruelling 16-hour journey via Dubai and Karachi, Graveney is anxious that any dispute over financial rewards should be settled quickly rather than disrupt the Sharjah tournament beginning in nine days' time.

The players are believed to want around UKP 50,000 a man if they win the World Cup, based on incentives for reaching each stage and on appearance money.

The ECB's offer is likely to fall well short of that figure because the World Cup organisers are still to secure four of their anticipated eight sponsors.

Because of the logistics involved in sending the contracts out to the squad, the players are unlikely to sign until they return, but Graveney is acting as an intermediary until then.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)