World Series Cricket - August 1977

August 1 Kerry Packer arrives in London: "I said at the beginning that I would stick with my players when the going got tough. That's why I'm here." He is accompanied by his lawyer, Ian Harper.

David Brown, Warwickshire's captain, says he will not allow Packer to approach Alvin Kallicharran (who withdrew in July) during the county's current match at Chesterfield. The Cricketers Association would ensure that no additional pressure was placed on the player, he says.

David Evans, whose company, Brengreen Holdings, sponsored The Cricketer's Exclusive Fast Bowler Quest earlier this year, announces a plan to "send Packer packing": he would buy back the contracts of the five England players involved, sponsor every England player for £1000 per Test match played, and pay a retainer of £1000 per annum to each player in a pool of 50 who would guarantee to be available to play for England. The scheme is conditional upon Evans's company obtaining business worth at least £1 million per annum for three years, the profits going to the TCCB.

August 2 The Daily Mail publishes a copy of a contract drawn up by Packer's agents, JP Sports - an eight-page foolscap document containing 11 clauses plus sub-clauses. A legal expert consulted by the Mail considers the contract to be "harsh and authoritarian. It appears to give the promoter virtually unlimited powers over the players who have signed."

This evening Packer announces, at the Dorchester Hotel, that he will apply for an injunction and damages in the High Court against the ICC and the TCCB to prevent them from excluding breakaway players from Test and county cricket. Another action was being started against David Lord for allegedly wrongfully inducing players to break their contracts with JP Sports. A third action is brought by Tony Greig, Mike Procter, and John Snow against the ICC, TCCB, and MCC, seeking declarations that the ban would be an unlawful restraint on their rights to play professional cricket and was invalid.

David Evans announces an offer of support for his scheme from an unnamed multi-national company, with whom he would soon be meeting.

August 3 After hearing arguments by counsel for both sides Mr Justice Slynn, Chancery Division vacation judge, postpones judgment until tomorrow afternoon. Robert Alexander, QC, is acting for Packer's company and the three players (who were not present but submitted affidavits), Patrick Milmo, QC, for the TCCB, and Oliver Popplewell, QC, for MCC (who, he claimed, had been wrongfully brought in as a defendant, controlling neither the ICC nor the TCCB).

August 4 Mr Justice Slynn rejects the applications for injunctions, while accepting an undertaking by the TCCB that no Packer players would be banned in Britain until the dispute has been fully tried by the court. It is expected that the full-scale hearing will take place in the second half of September and will last two weeks.

Kerry Packer's company is granted a seven-day injunction against David Lord restraining him from inducing players to break their contracts. Lord says he will fight the injunction the following week.

In Sydney a writ is issued on Packer's behalf against the Australian Cricket Board, seeking a declaration that it had acted in contravention of a section of the Trade Practices Act. He also seeks an injunction to stop the Board from hindering or preventing players supplying their services to his company.

After the hearing in London TCCB secretary Donald Carr says: "The outcome for us was perfectly satisfactory, and the board will now be able to consider the matter as intended."

Commenting on his contracts, Packer says: "I make no apologies for the fact that the contract is tough. I told every player, 'This is a tough contract and you'll do as you're damn well told'."

August 5 No statement concerning the Packer affair is issued after that TCCB meeting at Lord's other than that the England side should continue to be chosen on merit alone. Decisions relating to players signed by Packer are to be referred to the board's legal advisors before announcement a week later.

August 7 The West Indies Cricket Board of Control states that its players will have to decide before October 1 whether to play for Kerry Packer or in Test cricket. Any playing for Packer would be banned, according to the agreement reached by the ICC.

Queensland Cricket Association replace Greg Chappell with Tom Veivers as a State selector. No reason is given. Chappell had been a Queensland selector since becoming State captain in 1973.

August 9 A `bonus' of £9000 is given to the `non-Packer' players in England's fourth-Test team by three businessmen, a gesture repeated for the fifth Test match. England captain Mike Brearley refuses to discriminate and divides the amounts equally among all his players.

August 10 The TCCB announce two new sub-rules which would mean the banning for two years of any player who appears for Packer's company. Implementation of the sub-rules is subject to the High Court hearing in late September. They read:

1. No player who, after October 1, 1977, has played, or made himself available to play, in a match previously disapproved by the Conference shall thereafter be eligible to play in any Test match without the express con-sent of the Conference.

2. No county shall be entitled to play in any competitive county cricket match any cricketer who is, and remains, precluded from playing in a Test match on the above grounds prior to the expiration of a period of two years immediately following the date of the last day of the Test match previously disapproved by the ICC in which he has played, or made himself available to play.

The ban would affect about 18 players in county cricket, several of them county captains.

David Lord gives Mr Justice Slynn in the High Court an undertaking that he will not induce or attempt to induce players to with-draw from their Packer contracts before the full hearing in late September.

August 11 A glossy booklet released by the Packer organisation lists 46 players - 18 from Australia, including Queensland batsman Martin Kent, 15 from West Indies, five each from England and Pakistan, and three from South Africa - and gives dates of the six major matches.It is revealed that some matches will be played under floodlight, and that Waverley Park in Melbourne and a football park in Adelaide will be used.

August 12 English Test umpire Dickie Bird, who had earlier refused a Packer contract to officiate in some of his matches, appears in a television commercial for a car company on Packer's Channel 9 in Sydney.

August 13 A leader in The Times attacks the TCCB's intended ban as it would apply in particular to South African and West Indian players, whose Test and county commitments would not be affected by involvement in Packer games.

August 14 Kerry Packer, receiving a hostile reception from some of the 400 spectators, plays for an Australian Press XI against an English Press XI at Harrogate on the rest day of the fourth Test match. He makes two not out, and holds a slip catch (off David Lord's bowling) and another as wicketkeeper. It is gathered that Packer plans soon to issue about 60 writs following the events of the past few months.

August 21 England's team for the final Test against Australia includes Greig, Knott, and Underwood.

August 24 It is announced that Packer games will be played at Sydney's Royal Agricultural Showground, next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, and at Gloucester Park, Perth, opposite the WACA ground.

Rick McCosker and Gary Gilmour, both Packer signatories, are dropped from a team to play at McCosker's hometown, Inverell, on September 11. It is expected that McCosker will play for Inverell instead.