Cricket

The Indian cricket board today softened its stand on the issue of contracts signing of the Bangladesh-bound Indian cricketers, saying it was not necessary that they should do so before leaving for Dhaka on Monday.

"They can sign the contracts after returning from the tour of Bangladesh," said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah.

Asked if there was a deadline for the players to sign the contract, he said "no, there is no deadline".

"I don't have a feedback from the players yet. I am going to Kolkata on Sunday and will talk to the players and hear their concerns if there are any," he said.

Shah felt if players have some reservations then it would not be possible for them to sign the contracts before they leave for Dhaka.

Shah had said from London, a couple of days ago while returning from the World Cup final in West Indies, that the players will have to sign the contracts before going to Bangladesh.

As per the clauses of the contracts, the players will get only five lakh rupees as flat retainer fees irrespective of their seniority, a far

cry from the Rs 20-50 lakh they were earning till September last year.

They are also entitled to a bonus for victories in matches and series separately but the players are totally unhappy over these figures.

Sources said the players not only have doubts about some of the clauses incorporated in the contracts but also are peeved at the flat retainer amount proposed by the BCCI.

The players found it difficult to sign the 38-page contract before the tour of Bangladesh as they wanted their lawyers and agents to have a look at the documents.

The players would get Rs 1.5 and Rs 2.5 lakh each respectively as

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match fees for ODIs and Tests.

Meanwhile, Shah ignored a reported indirect approach made by BCCI to Australia's World Cup winning coach John Buchanan to take over the reins of the Indian squad prior to the latter's departure for the Caribbean.

"I don't know anything about any such approach having been made. This is the first time I am hearing about it," Shah said.

He was reacting to a report in an Australian newspaper quoting Buchanan that Indian officials who were keen to gauge his interest in succeeding Greg Chappell as their coach after the mega event "indirectly" approached him before leaving for the Caribbean World Cup.