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| Sunday, 18 August 2002 |
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Sri Lanka players say contract crisis to fizzle out
COLOMBO, Aug 17 (AFP) - Sri Lanka's cricketers Friday expressed confidence that a sponsorship row will be resolved with "give and take" on both sides, allowing next month's Champions Trophy to go ahead here. "We do not see any real danger for the tournament," said spokesman for the Sri Lankan players, Graeme Labrooy. "The game must go on and we feel there will be give and take on both sides." The International Cricket Council (ICC) wants cricketers to sign contracts stating that players cannot have endorsement deals in conflict with official ICC sponsors a month before and after an ICC tournament. The ICC has already signed up a number of official sponsors for the Trophy, effectively a mini World Cup, starting here from September 12. But many leading players have agreements with rival firms. Some have not yet signed the controversial terms. The Cricket Players' Association of Sri Lanka said about a dozen players in the national pool had their own product endorsement contracts, but it hoped there would be no conflict of interest with the sponsors of the tournament. Labrooy said the Sri Lankan team currently in Morocco had not signed the terms, but the players were being provided legal advice to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. "We feel that there should be greater dialogue between the players and the ICC in deciding their course of action for the next three to four years," Labrooy said. "That way, we should be able to avoid this type of situation." He said Sri Lankan players were keen to ensure that the sponsorship row did not affect the game and that the big names in cricket would be able to attend next month's tournament. Some key Indian cricketers, including mega star Sachin Tendulkar, have been hesitant to sign the terms as they have agreements with companies that are in competition with ICC sponsors. The ICC rejected claims it had ignored the players' rights in its commercial arrangements with the sponsors for the Champions Trophy and next year's World Cup in South Africa. "It's a well established practice in elite sport that, for the benefit of the game, protection against ambush marketing is given to the sport's commercial partners," ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said in a statement. Australian, Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers are among those who are yet to sign the contracts. Sri Lanka squad Sri Lanka squad for ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka starting on September 12: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Russel Arnold, Hasantha Fernando, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana, T.M. Dilshan, Pulasthi Guneratne, Kumar Dharmasena. |
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