Dubai: Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Inderjit Singh Bindra on Tuesday slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for trying to impose "neo-colonialism" in the game by forcing the controversial sponsorship contract on Indian players. Bindra also expressed regret over the apparent lack of support from the other Asian countries on Indian players' stand of refusing to sign the ICC contract that bars them from personal endorsements that might be in conflict with ICC's official sponsors.Bindra, who was in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, on an official said that the current controversy was not a tussle between national and commercial interests and the issues involved were more fundamental. "It is totally incorrect to rationalise the present controversy by saying that it is playing for country versus playing for money. "In fact, the issues involved are more fundamental and in my considered view it revolves around the efforts of a global conglomerate to spread its tentacles in the entire cricketing world in the form of neo-colonialism." Bindra said India must not let a "multinational exploit the resurgent Indian market for its own benefits and at the cost of Indian players and Indian corporate sponsors. "Those who are referring to the present controversy as one concerning playing for the country versus playing for money are doing a great disservice to some of the greatest cricketers of all time," Bindra, also a former Asian Cricket Council president, said. Asked whether he felt BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya was isolated in the recent ICC meeting here, Bindra said he was surprised that even the full members from Asia did not support India's stand. "Knowing Dalmiya for more than two decades, I am quite certain that he is fully equipped and competent to take on the present vested interests and the forces of neo colonialism as effectively as we had done from 1980 to 1996 jointly. "I am surprised that even the full members from Asia did not support India's stand. We have, over the years, fought for Asian identity in the world cricket and in this connection jointly organised two World Cups in the sub-continent. "BCCI, in 2000, had taken a stand vis-a-vis ICC just prior to the last ICC Knock Out tournament in Kenya, stipulating that India would not participate unless a substantial part of the profits from the tournament was devolved upon Asian Cricket Council on the ground that almost 80 per cent of the sponsorship and TV rights revenue was generated from India. "The present situation is not different and, therefore, it is quite shocking that our Asian colleagues have not supported Dalmiya's stand in the ICC," Bindra said.
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Indians moot legal action if dropped from squad

Tags: cricket, dubai, board of control for cricket in india (bcci), inderjit singh bindra, international cricket council (icc), neo colonialism, sponsorship contract, global conglomerate, asian cricket council, jagmohan dalmiya, world cup, icc knock out.