Indian cricket board President Sharad Pawar on Sunday indirectly endorsed the view expressed by board Vice-President Lalit Modi and Punjab Cricket Association chief IS Bindra that the ICC was "behaving like the East-India
Company".
JAIPUR: Indian cricket board President Sharad Pawar on Sunday indirectly endorsed the view expressed by board Vice-President Lalit Modi and Punjab Cricket Association chief IS Bindra that the ICC was "behaving like the East-India Company".
"That is the general feeling prevailing in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh," Pawar said when asked to react to the comment from Bindra and Modi.
Pawar said India would not sign the MPA in its present form but did "not foresee" the issue preventing the country from taking part in future World Cups and other ICC events.
He said one of the reasons for the BCCI refusing to sign the MPA was that it would harm the players' interests.
"We won't sign the MPA in its current form. If we sign, it will harm the players. They will not be able to do any advertisements for the next nine months," Pawar said during a chat with reporters after a breakfast meeting with All India Amateur Kabaddi Federation president Janardhan Singh Gehlot.
The Union agriculture minister, however, said the board would "find a way out" of the tangle.
"I don't foresee India not playing in the World Cup," he said.
The BCCI and the ICC have engaged in a war of words over various issues including the MPA, the conduct of Champions Trophy matches and an official BCCI invitation to former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was banned for life for alleged involvement in match-fixing.
Modi recently said that the ICC was bullying India to sign the MPA that governs the marketing aspects of all ICC events from 2007 to 2015.
ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed hit back at Modi, saying the latter's comments were "inflammatory and provocative".
Bindra fired a salvo of his own, accusing the ICC of hypocrisy and supported Modi's view that the world cricket governing body "was behaving like the East-India Company."
Pawar said economic factors would ensure that ICC and BCCI co-exist. "If India is not in the ICC, its income would be reduced by more than 60 per cent. So, there has to be a way out."
On what stance the board would take at the ICC Executive Board meeting in Mumbai on November 4, Pawar said, "it is very clear that we won't be signing in its present form."
Pawar denied there was any player-resentment over the way the issue has been handled.
"There is no resentment among the players regarding our stand. We are talking for the benefit of the players," he said.
The ICC sought to play down the war, saying it did not expect India to take the extreme measure of not playing in future World Cups.
"Why would India do that? They have worked hard to be here. India are key part of world cricket and we want them to be so," ICC General Manager (Operations) Dave Richardson said.
"There is no big fight. It has been heated from one side but as far as we are concerned, it is business as usual. There are some sticky points but we will try and resolve them," Richardson said on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate the Rajasthan Cricket Association Academy.
Pawar inaugurated the academy at the function also attended by board members, including Secretary Niranjan Shah, RCA chief and Modi, former BCCI chief and Punjab CA president IS Bindra and Treasurer N Srinivasan.
Richardson iterated his statement that the new MPA took care of India's concerns. "The agreement is not new. There are a few things to be ironed out but we believe it can be done."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}