Pawar discloses 'complaints' against cricket advertisers

Indian cricket board president Sharad Pawar said Friday young players have told him that some advertisement companies were "trying to influence selection" of the national team.

Pawar also said that some "responsible people" have complained that advertisers pay a few players according to the time they spend at the crease - a crime in limited overs cricket.

"...it is true that when I got an opportunity to interact with some young players, they did mention that there are certain advertisement companies which are giving contracts to a group of players," Pawar told CNN-IBN channel.

"The companies' intentions are always to see that each and every member of their advertisement team is selected. That is their thinking. I don't know how far it is correct," he said.

Pawar also said that he has received complaints on a few contentious clauses in certain players' endorsement contracts with companies - reports that first surfaced following India's first-round exit from the World Cup in the West Indies.

"This is not confirmed. But we have got some complaints from some responsible people that there are some contracts of players with some companies based on how much time they spend on the crease, that if you spend more time on the wicket then you will get more money," he confirmed the speculation that has been doing round for over a month.

"If that is correct, then this affects the (limited overs) game," he admitted.

He, however, declined to name the player or players.

Asked if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was investigating the issue, Pawar said: "We have just requested, sent a message to, the players that we would like to see their contracts."

India lost two of the three matches - including one to minnows Bangladesh -- in their group to crash out in the first round of the World Cup.

On the team selection for the upcoming Bangladesh tour, Pawar clarified that no instructions were given to the selection committee to select a "young team" or drop specific players.

"Nobody has been kept out of the team, and nobody has told that somebody should be kept in the team. Normally, we select 12-15 players. This time, we decided to select 20 players," he said.

"No instruction was given to whether senior players should be rested, or whether Sachin (Tendulkar) or someone else should be dropped," he said of the selectors' decision to "rest" Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

He said the instruction to the selectors was to select 20 players instead of 15.

Asked if that wasn't interference with selection, Pawar said: "Of course. But there is a reason. Because if among 20 players you are not giving opportunities to youngsters, then how can you build your team for tomorrow?"

(IANS)

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