Bad blood continued spilling between ICC and the BCCI over the long-running sponsorship issue, even as the Champions Trophy readied for take-off in Colombo. The latest spat involved ICC rejecting all four logos of Sahara, the official BCCI sponsor. ICC insists that Sahara India, a leading industrial group in India that also operates a domestic airline, clashes with interests of South African Airways, a Champions Trophy sponsor.

ICC yesterday refused to accept the BCCI argument that the new logos represented the housing-business operations of Sahara India. The BCCI is now working overtime to find a Sahara logo for Indian players to sport during the tournament. One option they are considering is replacing the word Sahara with Subrata, for Subrata Roy, chairman of Sahara India.

Meanwhile Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, told reporters during a joint press conference, "We're delighted India have sent their best squad. After this event, we'll sit together and discuss [player terms and contracts for the World Cup]. It's not a priority now."

Speed was also quoted as blaming Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, for the contract mess. Speed claimed it was during Dalmiya's tenure that the BCCI signed the ICC contract, and not during his predecessor AC Muthiah's term at the BCCI, as Dalmiya had been insisting all along.

Malcolm Gray, ICC's president, too chose to rub some salt into injured Indian pride. He declared that India would have suffered "tenfold" damages in penalties if a full-strength team had not participated in the Champions Trophy. "We were prepared to underwrite the damages, if any, provided a full-strength Indian team took part in this event," he said. "The damages would have been tenfold had India sent a second-string squad. All the ICC members made sure a full- strength Indian team took part."

Meanwhile, ICC came under severe fire from Ian Chappell, former Australian captain, who blasted ICC office-bearers for their "ineptitude and arrogance". "At the very least questions should be asked and some heads should roll," he demanded in his syndicated newspaper column. "Whatever failing the administrators were guilty of, the same sort of performance from a player on the field would lead to his sacking."

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