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Facts
Along the way, the ICC too has fallen into a trap. By including in its contract with the national boards a clause that prohibits players from appearing in any commercial that conflicts with the interests of the official sponsors during the tournament and one month before and after the event, it has only courted trouble. Having signed a seven-year contract for ICC tournaments, including the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka between September 12 and 30 and the World Cup, said to be worth over $550 million, the ICC sought to protect its sponsors from ambush campaigns.
As part of the $550-million deal between the ICC and the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC), wholly owned by Australian Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, the official sponsors were given unprecedented rights. ... They assured uninterrupted mileage for the sponsors for one month before and after an ICC event, besides the rights to use players’ images for six months after the mega event.
In return for the deal, which covers all major tournaments to be organized by ICC till 2007, the world body also gave an undertaking to the GCC that the best players from each country would participate in all the events.
The ICC is insisting that all cricketers sign an endorsement clause that prohibits them from promoting products that are rivals of the official sponsors of the Champions Trophy, the World Cup and other ICC tournaments till 2007, including the under-19 World Cups.
The advertising prohibition on players will be in force for a month preceding and a month after all the tournaments that the ICC will conduct in the next five years. It is this clause that has caused the biggest consternation to the players. The ICC, on the other hand, claims the endorsement clause will protect its sponsors against “ambush marketing” by rivals.
The row has revolved around restrictions barring players from advertising products which conflict with those of the official tournament sponsors, even if they have existing deals. The ICC had originally wanted to impose a ban of 30 days before and after as well as during the February 8 - March 23 tournament.
Approximate Word count = 1736
Approximate Pages = 6.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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