TheMase
15 Aug 2002, 16:08
CRICKET'S worldwide sponsorship row deepened last night when players were given an ultimatum to toe the line or be banned from next year's World Cup.
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International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed asked players to consider "what's more important to them . . . the money, or playing for their country" as the game's governing body took the gloves off in its skirmish over players' rights.
Players from at least six Test nations, including Australia, have refused to sign an entrance agreement for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka next month in protest at ICC restrictions on personal sponsorships that clash with those of tournament backers.
The agreements are a forerunner to those for February's World Cup in South Africa, and both tournaments are now being seriously threatened by player boycotts.
Speed has delivered a no-nonsense message to players and reiterated that the ICC would not back down in its commitment to the $1 billion deal that gives the rights to all ICC cup tournaments to the Rupert Murdoch-owned Global Cricket Corporation until 2007.
"If a player finds he has put his own commercial interests ahead of his ability to play for his country, he needs to decide what's more important to him and find a solution," Speed said.
The ICC has put pressure back on the players to find a way out of the problem. It reiterated that any player who did not comply with the ICC's demands would not be permitted to play in the Champions Trophy or World Cup.
"This is nothing new," Speed said. "It is a long-standing practice across a range of sports, including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup.
"It was a key element in negotiations for the cricket World Cup in 1999." The ICC said it was "very aware" that, behind the scenes, rival sponsors to cup backers have in recent months attempted to sign players for ambush marketing campaigns.
The ICC's stance is fuelled by memories of a major drama in the 1996 World Cup in India when Coke signed on to be the official cup sponsors.
Pepsi subsequently signed half the Indian team to huge contracts and launched a campaign that mocked the official sponsorship.
During several cup matches, Indian players who were sponsored by Pepsi would not accept drinks from the Coke-sponsored drinks cart.
Objection to the ICC's demands has cut deeply in India, where sponsorship is the life blood of most leading players.
Compared with Australia, India's players are paid a pittance. But stars Sachin Tendulkar and captain Sourav Ganguly earn more than any Australian because they are signed by companies eager to expose their product to a nation of one billion people.
The ACB is awaiting developments before entering a team for the Champions Trophy.
ADVERTISEMENT
International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed asked players to consider "what's more important to them . . . the money, or playing for their country" as the game's governing body took the gloves off in its skirmish over players' rights.
Players from at least six Test nations, including Australia, have refused to sign an entrance agreement for the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka next month in protest at ICC restrictions on personal sponsorships that clash with those of tournament backers.
The agreements are a forerunner to those for February's World Cup in South Africa, and both tournaments are now being seriously threatened by player boycotts.
Speed has delivered a no-nonsense message to players and reiterated that the ICC would not back down in its commitment to the $1 billion deal that gives the rights to all ICC cup tournaments to the Rupert Murdoch-owned Global Cricket Corporation until 2007.
"If a player finds he has put his own commercial interests ahead of his ability to play for his country, he needs to decide what's more important to him and find a solution," Speed said.
The ICC has put pressure back on the players to find a way out of the problem. It reiterated that any player who did not comply with the ICC's demands would not be permitted to play in the Champions Trophy or World Cup.
"This is nothing new," Speed said. "It is a long-standing practice across a range of sports, including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup.
"It was a key element in negotiations for the cricket World Cup in 1999." The ICC said it was "very aware" that, behind the scenes, rival sponsors to cup backers have in recent months attempted to sign players for ambush marketing campaigns.
The ICC's stance is fuelled by memories of a major drama in the 1996 World Cup in India when Coke signed on to be the official cup sponsors.
Pepsi subsequently signed half the Indian team to huge contracts and launched a campaign that mocked the official sponsorship.
During several cup matches, Indian players who were sponsored by Pepsi would not accept drinks from the Coke-sponsored drinks cart.
Objection to the ICC's demands has cut deeply in India, where sponsorship is the life blood of most leading players.
Compared with Australia, India's players are paid a pittance. But stars Sachin Tendulkar and captain Sourav Ganguly earn more than any Australian because they are signed by companies eager to expose their product to a nation of one billion people.
The ACB is awaiting developments before entering a team for the Champions Trophy.