New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre, International Cricket Council (ICC) and its marketing arm ICC Development International, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Reserve Bank of India and six sponsoring companies on a petition challenging the controversial players' contracts for the next month's World Cup. A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and justice B D Ahmed issued the notices on a petition by former Union Minister and BCCI president N K P Salve and five others including former cricketers Kapil Dev and Madan Lal. In a public interest litigation, Salve challenged the ICC contracts on the ground that even though 80 per cent of ICC funds were generated in India the world body had imposed stringent and unreasonable conditions on Indian players to participate in the World Cup. Seeking a direction to the government not to release the tax benefits to the sponsors, and another to ICC to sort the issue out amicably, the petitioner said it was necessary for the betterment of the game. The notice was issued to RBI because the money is sent to the ICC through it. Others made respondents in the case are Pepsi, Hero Honda, LG, Nimbus Communications, TVS Motors, Coca Cola, Sahara India Financial Corporation and Samsung. All the respondents were directed to file their replies by January 21 giving reasons why the petition should not be admitted. Extras:
Kapil Dev speaks up for beleaguered Indian team
South Africans trying out novel training methods
ICC receives altered Indian World Cup contracts
'Conditional nod sufficient for WC participation'

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