Greg signs the dotted line

Chappell and the other three support staff had come to the Cricket Club of India to meet BCCI chief Sharad Pawar and other board officials. Other business attended to included the players’ contract issue, where the money to the players set to shoot up because the board will now be earning much more (the board pays 13 per cent of its gross revenue to the contracted players for international cricket and a further 13 per cent for players in domestic cricket). This will be finalised tomorrow. The board also clarified its stance on advertisements in the Doordarshan feed and said that a tender will be floated for the purpose.

The board’s players gradation committee met with president Sharad Pawar at its helm. Others present were Kiran More, Greg Chappell and Niranjan Shah.

Sachin Tendulkar was also present.

What’s certain is a quantum jump in the retainers to the players as compared to last year when 17 players were divided into three groups — A, B and C, with the retainership being Rs 50, Rs 35 and Rs 20 lakh per annum, respectively.

On the DD tender, vice-president Lalit Modi said: “The clarification was required as there have been some misquotes that Doordarshan would not be allowed to put advertisements on its feed. Of course Doordarshan would be eligible to give a minimum guarantee offer to the BCCI.”

Bangla tour after WC

Mumbai: BCCI president Sharad Pawar said India will be touring Bangladesh in 2007 after the March-April World Cup. Pawar, who had a meeting earlier in the day with his counterpart Mohd Ali Asghar, said, ‘‘We have been invited to play two Tests and three ODIs in Bangladesh and the tour would take place after the World Cup (in the West Indies),” Pawar said. (PTI)