No 'big fight' between ICC and BCCI - Richardson

Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager operations, has clarified that there is no "big fight" between the Indian board and the ICC, adding that he didn't expect India to take any drastic measures.

"Why would India do that?," Richardson told reporters while attending an inauguration function at the Rajasthan Cricket Association academy. "They have worked hard to be here. India are key part of world cricket and we want them to be so. There is no big fight. It has been heated from one side but as far as we are concerned, it is business as usual. There are some sticky points but we will try and resolve them."

Richardson reiterated that the modified Members Participation Agreement took care of India's concerns. "The agreement is not new. There are a few things to be ironed out but we believe it can be done."

Richardson's comments came in the wake of the Indian board (BCCI) refusing to sign the MPA, which governs marketing and other aspects of all ICC events from 2007 to 2015. The situation was further worsenes when Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, said the ICC was bullying the Indian board.

Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief, responded by saying that Modi's remarks were "inflammatory and provocative", only for Modi to exacerbate the situation by saying India would pull out of all future ICC events if the MPA was not suitably amended. However, yesterday Modi clarified his stance saying that such a situation would arise only in a "worst-case scenario".

Meanwhile Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, seemed to endorse the sentiment expressed by Modi. "That is the general feeling prevailing in countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh," Pawar said during an informal chat with reporters at Jaipur. He added that India would not sign the MPA in its present form but did "not foresee" the issue preventing the country from taking part in future World Cups and other ICC events.

He said one of the reasons for the BCCI refusing to sign the MPA was that it would harm the players' interests. "We won't sign the MPA in its current form. If we sign, it will harm the players." However, Pawar felt that the board would "find a way out" of the tangle: "I don't foresee India not playing in the World Cup".