Mumbai: After flexing its muscles over the players' contracts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday made a tame climb-down and said the Bangladesh-bound team members can sign the contract even after returning from the tour if they were not happy with some of the clauses.

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

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

"They can sign the contracts after returning from the tour of Bangladesh (May 7-29)," he said.

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

Clauses of contracts

As per the clauses of the contracts, the players will get only Rs. 5 lakhs as flat retainer fees irrespective of their seniority, a far cry from the Rs. 20-50 lakhs they were earning till September, 2006.

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

The Board official's posture on Friday was indicative of a clear climb-down from the tough stand adopted earlier at the review meeting held here to discuss the team's debacle in the World Cup last month.

Pressed further whether there was any deadline laid by the Board for the players to sign on the dotted line, Shah said "no, there's no deadline."

Endorsements

About the cap on players' endorsements, which has led to a lot of heartburn in various quarters, Shah made it clear that it was a Working Committee decision.

"If some changes have to be made in this then only the Working Committee can do it," he reiterated.

The Working Committee of the Board had decided on April 7 that no player should sign more than three endorsement deals with sponsors/products at a time and not more than two players should be contracted by a single sponsor. — PTI

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