BCCI rejects ICC offer to speak to players directly on MPA

Ahmedabad, Oct 7 (UNI) The International Cricket Council's (ICC) offer for talks on the vexed issue of the signing of the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) directly with the Indian players has been outrightly rejected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The ICC has been told very clearly that they have to come through the Board while dealing with the Indian players.

''They cannot go to the players on their own, we will not let this happen,'' Secretary of the Indian cricket board Niranjan Shah said when contacted on the phone.

Shah's comments follow ICC General Manager (Cricket Operations) Dave Richardson's suggestion that the international body be allowed to involve the Indian cricketers in discussion regrdaing the MPA.

''Not only us (BCCI), but the Sri Lanka Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Boards and Bangladesh Cricket Board have said at the recent ICC meeting that on any issue related to the players, the ICC has to approach the respective Boards first,'' he said.

''As per the norms in international cricket administration, any issue that concerns a player has to addressed through the respective Board. Similarly, any relevant matter raised by the players is communicated to the ICC by the Board concerned,'' Shah added.

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