The England squad have agreed to sign their contracts for next month's Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, leaving India's players standing almost alone in their refusal to agree to the International Cricket Conference's (ICC) demands. "The resolution of this matter will see the best available England team participating in this tournament," said a spokesman for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He added that the players' participation was conditional on them being consulted before the next ICC marketing agreement was signed.

While the Indian cricket board (BCCI) have agreed to ICC's terms, their players have not, resulting in the board naming a reserve squad to represent India in the tournament.

India's players have the biggest commercial tie-ins as India is the financial powerhouse of cricket due to the vast audiences the game commands there. Sachin Tendulkar, who renewed a five-year contract with WorldTel last year worth approximately £14 million, currently endorses Adidas, Visa, Pepsi, Fiat and a number of domestic brands.

Ravi Shastri, the players' spokesman, said they were willing to be "flexible", but insisted that they would not sign the contracts as they stand. "The players are keen for a solution to the sponsorship issue and would be flexible if anything concrete comes up from the Cricket Board", he said. "Nobody wants a confrontation. The players have given me to understand they would be keen for a solution if something concrete comes up from the BCCI."

Whereas England's players are on central contracts, India's are not, leaving them more reliant on indirect income rather than earnings from actually playing the game.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd