ICC, players kiss and make up; now Dalmiya has to say I do, too

In a statement issued tonight, ICC President Malcolm Gray said, there was an agreement between the ICC and the Indian players ‘‘that is acceptable to both. There have been compromises on both sides.’’

The players’ representative Ravi Shastri welcomed the agreement. ‘‘Both the players and the ICC have found an amicable solution. The Indian players are looking forward to playing in the Champions Trophy,’’ he said.

Interestingly, the ICC said it had been told by the BCCI that it no longer had any authority to negotiate with the players, putting the responsibility for resolving the situation squarely on the BCCI.

Under the agreement, the ICC will allow concessions to the Indian players on two of its original clauses: six-month imaging and no advertisements in conflict with its partner sponsors till a month after the tournament.

On the six-months issue, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said no sponsor was intending to use the players’ images in this way and ‘‘this clause will not become an issue for the Champions Trophy’’.

The 30-day post-tournament exclusivity period has been reduced to 16 days, upto the day before the start of India’s second Test against the West Indies. It is longer than the players wanted but shorter than the ICC and its sponsors were seeking.

The ICC said that Global Cricket Corporation and four of its sponsors—Pepsi, LG Electronics, Hero Honda and South African Airways—wanted the Indians to play, and the final decision was taken after having their consent.

Even though Speed said there wasn’t any claim for compensation from the ICC or any other body against any country, the BCCI bosses contended that a portion of Speed’s statement — ‘‘Should a claim emerge in future, it would be a matter for that time to determine who, if anyone, was at fault and the size, if any, of any compensation payout’’.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, speaking to The Indian Express, argued, ‘‘We don’t want a situation where the Champions Trophy ends and in two weeks time some sponsor says he wasn’t happy with the concessions given to Indian players. The ICC has to give in writing that the BCCI will not be asked to compensate any sponsor.”

So far, the ICC has ruled out doing this. ‘‘The BCCI sought a blanket indemnity from any damages claim that may be made in the future against it or the ICC. It sought this undertaking from all other member countries… it was agreed that such an undertaking could not be given’’, Speed clarified.