Indian board threaten to sue ICC

Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was re-elected as president of the BCCI for a third term on Saturday, has warned the ICC that they will be taken to court unless India's share of World Cup money is released by November 1 at the latest.

A lengthy contracts dispute threatened India's participation in the World Cup, as the personal endorsements of India's players clashed with the official sponsors of the tournament. The ICC eventually negotiated a compromise with the BCCI, but subsequently withheld India's money, owing to damage claims from its financial agencies, the Global Cricket Corporation and World Sport Nimbus (GCC, WSN).

The GCC has made a claim of US$47 million for lost sponsorship, a figure which Dalmiya described as "frivolous and fictitious". "We will wait till Nov 1 for our share of $6.5 million along with the interest. If we do not hear from the IDI [ICC's financial wing] by this date, we will move the court of arbitration."

Dalmiya also complained about the crowded international schedule which the ICC has put in place. "We're concerned with the amount of cricket being played. The ICC schedule is too crammed. The 10-year program requiring each country to play two home and away series against every opponent during this period is a punishing schedule. The players are getting no respite under the present structure." Dalmiya said that the Indian board had suggested spreading out the program over a 12- or 14-year period.

Dalmiya informed that the BCCI had also put on hold an ICC proposal to have the Indian team play two tri-series tournaments in the United States, as part of an attempt to popularise the game there. "The ICC wants India to play two tri-series in the United States under its 'Project USA' program, but the board has decided to wait until the pending issues with the ICC are cleared."