Mr Gray, put the contract deal in black and white

The ICC president’s first response was that this was just a hypothetical situation. A brief pause later he resumed to explain that it is very important for ‘‘sanity to prevail and that the ICC would take every possible step to ensure the participation of the best teams’’.

From the same platform, Mr Gray stated that the players’ terms were finalized at a time when most of the current crop of players were not around and these terms shall continue till 2007 when most of the current crop of players may not be around. According to him, a discussion with players could have offered no definite solution as they keep changing.

This is neither accurate nor a long-term solution. A majority of these players were around in 2000 and some may still be around in 2007. Besides what is the guarantee that the players who are there in 2007 will accept these terms. The issue is not about individuals but a section of people who are and will continue to be one of the vital constituents of the game of cricket. It is not enough for the ICC executive board to meet. What is required is an open discussion with all parties concerned — boards, sponsors and players. It is vital to eradicate the problem and not to find short-term cures.

Mr Gray is right when he states that trans-continental ‘‘tele conferences are a nightmare because of the geographical (time zones) locations of different boards. And you don’t know when one member has dropped out.’’ There is time but not plenty of time before the 2003 World Cup. The ICC should convene a meeting of all concerned to try and resolve this issue. Don’t just get the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), who are the ICC’s official licensees, but also the sub licensees or end users like the sponsors and the television channels. After all these are the people who will decide what level of protections they require or they don’t require. The money actually flows from the accounts of these sponsors and the television channels. They are the best people to take a call on this subject.

Frankly speaking, all the participating sponsors as well as the player sponsors have lived with a less than ideal situation as a lead up to the Champions Trophy and even during it. The World Cup is too big an event to be left to elements of uncertainty. Mind you, this time it is not an 18-day event but three times longer than that. The stakes would be much higher for all concerned. The organizers need enough time to get their act together.

Similarly, the players need to work themselves into the right frame of mind. Debating contracts till the eleventh hour is certainly not a recommended preparation. For the sponsors and television channels the situation is even more difficult and time consuming. Television channels cannot make sales overnight and the sponsors cannot get their advertisement/promotion campaigns ready in a matter of days.

Unlike the last time this should not be treated as a blinking game. All parties have stated their positions last time around. Now the way forward is to talk, talk and talk till an all-acceptable solution is found. Accusations and allegations will not help. Trust and not mistrust will push all concerned towards a dignified and equitable solution.