The Indian cricketers have rejected the two most contentious clauses while signing the player terms, Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya confirmed in Kolkata on Saturday.
"We had forwarded the player terms to our cricketers in New Zealand with the advice to sign along with their objections and forward these to the BCCI," Dalmiya told reporters. "The players have acted accordingly and we will send the contracts to the ICC within the stipulated deadline of January 14."
The Indian cricketers signed the contracts with the qualifications that 1) they would not indulge in conflicting sponsorship only during the 47-day period of the World Cup, and not before or after the event, and 2) they would allow imaging rights for two months only to those ICC sponsors who are not in conflict with their personal sponsors.
"The rest of the 22 clauses of the player terms have already been agreed upon," Dalmiya said, but added that he feared the altered contract might not be acceptable to the International Cricket Council.
"I'm not sure if the qualified signature to the Player Terms would be acceptable to the ICC," he said. "But we are keen to participate in the World Cup with the best team and there is no clause to prevent a team from participating if it has signed the Player Terms conditionally."
Dalmiya insisted that there is no way India could be scratched from the tournament. "If England don't play in Zimbabwe, will they be scratched from the tournament?" he said. "Cricket will go on. Commercial interests will not be allowed to affect cricket."
Dalmiya said the dispute could be resolved only through arbitration and "the ICC and BCCI's solicitors are already exchanging communication. Time has come to test the legality of the restrictive clauses as no player can be forced to break his pre-existing contracts."
He said the BCCI has suggested to the ICC that the step of non-binding mediation be skipped as per clause 31.4(D) of the Participating Nations Agreement to expedite the arbitration proceedings.
Asked if he thought the issue would be sorted out before the World Cup begins on February 8, he said: "We are keen to, and there is nothing in the PNA to stop India's participation for commercial disputes."
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