During a press conference called by the Bombay Cricket Association, it was revealed that Reebok had agreed to sponsor and kit out the Bombay Ranji Trophy team, as also the Under-16 and Under-19 teams, for Rs two million per year for five years. However, the proviso was that all players should sign before the start of the 1995-1996 season.

Tendulkar refused, asking for more money. While making the statement, BCA officials hinted that the Indian skipper wasn't bargaining merely for the team, but more for himself.

In the event, Tendulkar was compelled to sign the contract seven days ago, after which Reebok released a payment of Rs 1 million. It is believed that the sports goods giants may not pay the balance Rs one million, citing the delay in signing as the reason.

Adding to the confusion, the BCA officials responsible waited to hear from Tendulkar before distributing the kit that Reebok had already released - with the result that many players played preliminary engagements without proper kit.

The fiasco saw bitter words being uttered at the press conference, with officials saying that it was okay for Tendulkar to delay on such matters as his kit was sponsored by MRF and he was well on the way to winning his fourth luxury car by year end. However, this was hardly fair to the junior players, who had to depend on their own resources for the necessities of cricket, officials argued.

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