Contracts to be finalised after World Cup

Indian cricketers' annual contracts, which were scheduled to be finalised by the end of September, have been further delayed and will now be signed when the players return to India after the World Cup.

Niranjan Shah, honorary secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said in Mumbai that the decision to postpone the signing of the contracts with the top players, up to 20, was agreed upon during a meeting with captain Rahul Dravid.

"After a meeting between the board officials and Dravid, it was mutually agreed that the players' contract would be implemented after the return of the team from World Cup," Shah said in a short statement. "At the meeting the draft agreement was discussed in detail and the views of the board and players were also exchanged."

The final draft of the BCCI players' contracts was to be ready in mid-January. The board was to then pass on the draft to individual players. Players are likely to receive a flat fee for each Test and one-day international, and a bonus if the team wins. There will not be rewards for individual performances - runs scored or wickets taken.