NZ board admits team took money for autographs

New Zealand Cricket has admitted players took money for autographs during their recent tour of England, but defended them, saying that the demands were only made to deter commercial autograph hunters.

The players agreed to charge money for signing certain items after they discovered several signed objects that were sold. But even then, team members signed autographs for free for the public, as well as charities. The clarification came after Cricinfo reported that the cricketers had charged autograph seekers.

AFP reported that Steve Addison, the team's manager, justified the players' decision: "The team only charged for signing whole bats which were brought to the dressing room and which were later sold commercially."

He spoke about the autograph hunters ganging up with products meant for commercial use. "There were 20 or 30 of them at a time with caps and cards which were not for personal use, so the players got a bit annoyed," he said, following which the team took a decision to charge money from commercial hunters. But he insisted the players continued to give their autographs to genuine fans for free. "The team still continued to sign caps and books and all manner of things for members of the public."